For the players of Jammu and Kashmir, the IPL has become a boon as several youngsters have been picked by different franchises over the years.
In the recently concluded mini-auction, as many as 21 players from the state signed themselves up.
The names of these three are Vivrant Sharma, Avinash Singh Manhas, and Yudhvir Singh Charak.
Sharma has been picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 2.6 crores, making him the costliest buy as an uncapped player.
Sharma will also join his teammates Abdul Samad and Umran Malik who are already a part of the set-up.
Avinash Singh Manhas has been snapped up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 60 lakhs as they outbidded Kolkata Knight Riders.
Jammu and Kashmir has become a scouting ground for many companies as the demand for players are high from this region.
Vivrant Sharma shares his experience of being picked for the IPL
Vivrant Sharma was pretty elated about being picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auction.
He says,
Abdul Samad, Umran Malik and I started playing cricket together in Jammu, since when we were kids. After Samad and Umran played in the IPL, we internally believed that if they can play, we can too. So whenever the glass cieling gets broken, players start believing in themselves.
Adding further, he says,
The environment among J&K players is that the next IPL contract will be me, which happened in my case.
While Vivrant started to achieve greatness in cricket, his elder brother could not as he had to start helping the family in business by the age of 26.
Says Vivrant,
My brother used to play cricket at inter-university level and left cricket around age 26. He focused on business but remained at my side throughout my cricketing journey. He used to pick me up, drop me during all my training and matches since I was a kid and he has always been my moral support.
Many J&K players have been signed up by various franchises in the IPL in different capacities such as net bowlers.
Umran Malik was also a net bowler before coming into the ranks of the Indian cricket team.
Vivrant’s unfazed attitude on receiving a huge amount of money in the IPL
While money changes the attitudes of many, Vivrant remains unfazed as money is not an important asset for him at the moment.
Life is going to continue the same way. I don’t think that with money drastic changes happen. But what changes is your mindset. You tend to get more sincere, more focused. If money could change people, it would have done so for many. But the main thing is that, whatever you are doing, you should be happy from inside doing that.
All three of these youngsters live near the river Tawi that flows through Jammu and where Umran Malik trained to get a well-sculpted body playing at its sandy banks.
On the other hand, IPL sure is a risky business. While you are considered a star one day, the next you become a nobody.
Names of Paul Valthaty and Swapnil Asnodkar come to mind who are now nobodies for everyone.
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