Phool chand

Madhya Pradesh T20 League: Before Mangesh Yadav ever pitched a ball in professional cricket, his father Ramavadh Yadav worked overnight, contemplating how he would secure funds for his son’s dream. He invested all his resources in a boy who initially played cricket in a modest courtyard with his mother. Today, Mangesh Yadav has a contract worth Rs. 5.2 crore with the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Reflecting on their financial woes, Mangesh’s father said, “I had to struggle a lot for money. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep at night, thinking about how I would raise money for him. The life of a truck driver is no life at all. You don’t have time to eat or bathe. When the truck is full, you worry about offloading, and when it’s empty, you have to worry about filling it up.”

A 23-year-old from Borgaon in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, raised in humble conditions, developed his cricket skills early on. His uncle recognised his talent at tennis tournaments and motivated him to go to Delhi to train with coach Phool Chand Sharma.