The Indian Premier League is the world’s biggest and most dynamic cricket league where players from round the world showcase their exceptional cricketing skills for over 2 months. With IPL, players and owners have benefitted, and it also brought in some serious money to so many other stakeholders as well. Along the way, IPL has also given us amazing rags-to-riches stories as well. These are the stories about individuals who rose from extremely humble backgrounds to reach to glorious heights of success.
Mohammed Siraj:
It’s a story that invokes an entire gamut of emotions. A story of grit and glory that has seen many ups and downs over the years. The son of an autorickshaw driver, Mohammed Siraj had high dreams and the immense dedication to pursue and achieve them.
The self-taught bowler made his debut in the Ranji Trophy in 2015, ending the season with 41 wickets in nine matches. Siraj’s hard work and determination paid off at the 2017 IPL auction when lady luck finally smiled upon him. Introduced to the auction at a base price of Rs.20 lakh, a fierce bidding ensued for Siraj before RCB finally snapped up the Hyderabad speedster for a whopping Rs.2.6 crore.
Nathu Singh:
Just like any other young cricketing fanatic, Nathu Singh’s tryst with the game began with a tennis ball. Coming from a humble background, where his father, a factory worker struggled to make both ends meet.
Nathu’s years of toil & hardwork finally paid off when he caught selector’s attention enroute to his 7-wicket haul in Ranji trophy debut in 2015. The tides turned in speedster’s favour when he was scalped for Rs. 3.2 crore by the Mumbai Indians in the 2016 IPL auction.
Sarfaraz Khan:
Sarfaraz, now a vital cog in Mumbai’s Ranji trophy team had seen his father doing odd jobs while struggling to make ends meet from very close quarters. Naushad, Sarfaraz’s father has been a central figure in the rise of Sarfaraz.
His stunning performances in the Ranji trophy caught the attention of RCB who, in 2015 auctions picked him for Rs.50 lakh. This paved the way for greater recognition, and in 2016 he represented India at the U-19 World Cup in 2016.
T. Natarajan:
As a kid, Thangarasu Natarajan used to run errands and do daily chores for his father who was a labourer in the textile industry, while his mother sold edibles by the highway. His family struggled for a square meal, let alone fund Natarajan’s expenses for playing cricket.
Wading through tough times, Natarajan defied all odds that came his way and pursued his passion for cricket. Natarajan made huge waves at the 2017 auctions when he was bought by Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs.3 crore after his remarkable performances in Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2016.
Krunal & Hardik Pandya:
For a base price of Rs.10 lakh, Hardik Pandya was roped in by the Mumbai Indians in 2016 auctions. He was still a bit naive at the highest level, but Pandya did make his mark in the tournament.
In the next auction, his brother Krunal Pandya, who was a completely unknown entity went for a whopping Rs. 2 crore and he took the tournament by a storm with his explosive batting and cunning left-arm spin. Their father struggled financially as they had a small car-finance business, but he always provided ample support for his kids to pursue their dreams.
IPL over the years has become a great platform for the players who came from modest backgrounds and made a mark for themselves. Not only they became house-hold names with their franchise, but also got to don India colours in the process.
