Around this time last year, Nishant Sindhu was preparing for the U-19 World Cup in the West Indies. Back then, the young all-rounder from Haryana’s Rohtak did not imagine that the team will eventually go on to win the title. Being a fan of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, he just wanted to rely on his natural game and contribute to the team’s success.
But in the Caribbeans, he was one of the top performers of the Indian team, claiming six wickets from five games. While a few of his team-mates made it to the IPL 2022, Nishant did not make the cut.
On Friday, his dream of making it to the IPL came true as he was roped in by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs. 60 lakh in the mini-auction. “I always dreamed of playing in the IPL and keeping that in mind, I kept preparing myself so that I could get an opportunity to feature in the tournament soon. I am glad that the hardwork paid off,” the 18-year-old Sindhu told Sportstar.
Sindhu had to watch the auction on his phone along with his Haryana team-mates after their Ranji Trophy fixture against Vadodara that ended in a draw. It was a good outing for Sindhu as he scored 110 runs in the first innings.
“I had a good game, but it ended in a draw. So, after the match, we were watching the auction on phone when my name came up for bidding,” an emotional Sindhu said, “It is a dream come true to play under Dhoni sir. I am looking forward to learn a lot from him. Everyone wants to play the IPL and it is a great moment to be picked by Chennai Super Kings,” he said.
Boxer turned cricketer
Before pursuing cricket, Nishant trained as a boxer, following the footsteps of his father Sunil Sindhu, a state-level boxer. But he fell in love with cricket after joining the academy run by former Haryana first-class cricketer Ashwani Kumar.
Making rapid progress, Sindhu amassed 572 runs and bagged 23 wickets in the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2018-19, leading Haryana to victory over Jharkhand in the final.
“When I started boxing, I did not think of playing cricket someday, and obviously did not imagine of playing in the IPL. But things just happened and I am glad that I will now be part of the IPL.”
Being a fan of Jadeja, Nishant now also plans to pick his brains when he meets him at the CSK dressing room. “After the U-19 World Cup, the aim was to get ready for the IPL. The aim is now to be ready and wait for an opportunity and if it comes my way, I will have to give my hundred per cent,” Sindhu said.
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