Sabyasachi Bagchi, Kolkata: Young Anukul Roy’s brilliant performance with the ball against Papua New Guinea helped India to register their second successive win in the ICC U19 World Cup. Everyone is talking about Anukul’s five-for today, but a very few people know the rise of this young fellow, which can be compared to the autobiography of MS Dhoni. Co-incidentally the former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni and Anukul Roy both are from Jharkhand. Dhoni already has three ICC Trophies under his belt and now Anukul is following the footsteps of Dhoni.
Anukul’s brilliant spell of 5 for 14 is the taking point of everyone. Indian U19 team has the star cricketers like Prithvi Shaw, Himangsu Rana, Shivam Mavi but Anukul’s performance today overshadowed everyone on the ground. One can remember last year when Coach Rahul Dravid arranged a few series against top opponents and Anukul was the skipper of the side during that time.
Anukul’s father Sudhakar Roy is an advocate in profession. While talking to www.xtratime.in he said,” We didn’t have any financial problem and that’s why I have given him everything whatever he wanted in his childhood. As we didn’t stop him from anything, he used to play ‘Amateurish Cricket’. On that time if Brajesh Jha didn’t stand beside our family, Anukul didn’t reach this far. We are really proud of Anukul today, but all the credit goes to his coach Brajesh Jha.”
When Anukul was just 10 years age, a local Samastipur Cricket Club coach Brajesh Jha discovered him.” He was a talented young lad and that’s why his family brought him to my academy. Beside a left-arm spinner he is very good batsman too. He used to play well for his school team as well as my coaching centre earlier in his career and I saw a certain change in his mindset,” said Brajesh.
He farther added,” At the age of 13 or 14 he used to bunk his training at my academy, beside that he didn’t attend his school too. Anukul’s family also had no idea about their son. After a day the news came to me that, he is play amateurish cricket by “Cosco Ball” staying awake in the night. He didn’t play there to earn money, but to hit fours and sixes. Though I don’t support this kind of a game and I told him to stop doing this. I scolded him on that time, but I think now Anukul can understand why I had done that.”
After talking to his coach, Anukul left his family at the age of 16 to do something well in cricket. He used to stay at Jamshedpur in a small flat. To get a chance in the Jharkhand U19 squad, he joined V. Venkatram’s Cricket Academy. The second coach of Anukul Roy said,” When he came to me, he was nothing but a fully transformed person. He used to talk about cricket all day. I think as he stayed away from his family, it helped him to concentrate in his game. He is mentally a lot stronger now nad only for that Anukul can do pace bowling beside his spin bowling. Beside that he can bat really well too which makes him a great all-rounder.”