Internet Desk: It’s another perfect example of a small town, big dreams story. Mumbai Indian’s Kulwant Khejroliya will have his name on the history books if Rohit Sharma and his team go on to win the IPL 10 final against Rising Pune Supergiant at Hyderabad. The 25 year old pacer from a remote village in Rajasthan is now eyeing his maiden IPL tile with Mumbai Indians.
Khejroliya was working as a waiter in a restaurant in Goa before playing serious cricket last season. He only made his debut for Delhi in the 2017 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was influenced by his friend to take the sport professionally after a friend spotted him.
“I only started playing cricket a year ago. Before that I was a waiter at a restaurant in Goa. I didn’t tell my parents that I was playing cricket. I wasn’t very good at studies. I took a number of competitive exams but couldn’t get through anywhere. We needed money at home and my family wanted me to get a job. I didn’t know what to do,” said Khejroliya, adding that, “A friend of mine told me that I had the talent to make it as a cricketer. So, I told my parents that I am joining a friend’s transport business in Ahmedabad. But I went to Delhi instead.”
Interestingly, the pacer kept his parents in dark when he joined the Lal Bahadur Shastri club in Delhi.
It was the same club that produced the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand and Nitish Rana. His parents thought he had moved to Ahmedabad to join a friend’s transport business. The career of Khejroliya took a new turn under Coach Sanjay Bharadwaj who guided him to become a fine bowler.
The fast bowler was acquired by Mumbai Indians at a base price of Rs 10 lakh in the 2017 auction. Although he is yet to play a single game for the franchise, his bowling skills at the nets caught the eye of everyone.
Talking about his stint at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Club, Khejroliya commented, “In Delhi I got a break at the LB Shastri club, which has given rise to Gautam Gambhir, Nitish Rana and Unmukt Chand. I didn’t have proper shoes and spikes then. The coach Mr Sanjay Bharadwaj asked me about my shoes and I told him my story. Mr Bharadwaj then got me to a hostel where a lot of other budding cricketer’s stay. I moved in and started working really hard. I would spend all day on the ground and evenings at the gym. Whatever I am today is because of him. He treated me like his own son and gave me a lot of support.”
Looking back at his days of struggle, Kulwant said, “If I hadn’t made something of my life, I would have lot to answer for. But now that I have made it here, folks back in my village and in my district are happy and very proud of me.”