Gaurav Yadav turned the game against Delhi by taking 10 wickets
Who is Gaurav Yadav
Gaurav Yadav is an Indian cricketer. He made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2012–13 Ranji Trophy on 2 November 2012. He was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament, with twenty-three dismissals in nine matches. now he plays for the Pondicherry team. he came into the limelight after taking 10 wickets in the Ranji Trophy against Delhi where he made the star-studded Delhi team a dwarf against his spell.
At the age of 21, it became impossible for Gaurav to play cricket, his problems increased due to injury, but he did not give up. This fast bowler has worked hard to move forward.
Gaurav Yadav has done wonders
Gaurav Yadav has done wonders in his very first match in Ranji Trophy 2024. He gave victory to Puducherry against Delhi by taking 10 wickets. This could be the biggest upset of this season. After Delhi’s defeat in this match, Yash Dhull also lost his captaincy. Gaurav Yadav is doing wonders at the age of 32, but the journey before this has not been easy for him. Gaurav has spoken about his struggle in a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo.
Gaurav Yadav Journey of cricket
When he decided to become a cricketer, his father was worried about his future. In such a situation, he said to his father, “Didn’t you bring me up by working in the fields? If cricket doesn’t work out, I will do the same thing.” After this his father agreed to make him a cricketer. At this time Gaurav was 21 years old. Growing up in Bisoni Kalan, a rural area in Madhya Pradesh, Gaurav had not played any kind of group stage cricket, but he had destined to become fast bowler and make a name for himself.
In Indore, when he asked about playing cricket in a local club, he was made fun of. “I asked what was the path for someone who had not played group stage cricket before? They immediately told me ‘don’t play’. But I knew I couldn’t give up so easily.”
Gaurav was first selected from tennis ball cricket by former Indian leg spinner Narendra Hirwani.
Gaurav said “Hirwani sir saw me bowling an over and immediately told Sanjay Jagdale (former MPCA chief) that I should improve. I was playing a trial match. After the first day, one of the selectors told me ‘Don’t come tomorrow’. I was shocked because I had bowled brilliantly. Then he laughed and said, you are joining the Ranji team.”
Gaurav said “Hirwani sir saw me bowling an over and immediately told Sanjay Jagdale (former MPCA chief) that I should improve. I was playing a trial match. After the first day, one of the selectors told me ‘Don’t come tomorrow’. I was shocked because I had bowled brilliantly. Then he laughed and said, you are joining the Ranji team.”
Injury slowed down the career of Gaurav
Yadav has been continuously battling injuries in the last few years. In his second season, he twisted his ankle before the season attempting to bowl fast. After recovering, he fell from the bike and injured his left leg. He contracted chikungunya before the start of a season.
Rift with Ashok Pandit
Sometimes powerful person ruined the life of common people and incidents came here with Gaurav as well when MP cricket coach Chandrakant Pandit allegedly started targeting Gaurav amid his rift with him , he once said “Ab tere ko nahi khilaenge,aur tu jaha khelega waha tereko bench karwaunga” were Chandrakant Pandit’s words for Gaurav Yadav. he was the leading wicket-taker for Madhya Pradesh in the last two years i.e. when they became Ranji Trophy champions and then lost in the semifinals.
Everything was alright until Pandit joined in as the coach. After that, it was the case of a few white-ball games, taunts by the coach, and no permission to attend IPL trials or be a net bowler.
Gaurav Yadav was in tears while giving the interview, “Pandit never liked me. He always gave me that vibe. Even someone like Kuldeep Sen who is in the reckoning for the Indian team was benched., He also moved to Tamil Nadu. He told me that he would drop me from the team.
I was desperate. Venkatesh Iyer helped me get in touch with people in Puducherry. That’s how I got a fresh lease of life,” Yadav said. Today playing for Pondicherry Gaurav grabbed 10 Wickets and won the game for his team against Delhi,On a pitch where giants like Ishant Sharma and Navdeep saini struggled to take wickets he took 10 wickets,and rightly he is back to business.
This is a message to all the egoistic bunch of stakeholders sitting at higher positions to please don’t destroy someone’s career just to satisfy your ego, Chandrakant Pandit is with Kkr, Hoping he doesn’t do these mischievous activities with players there.