New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav’s childhood coach is facing financial struggles after losing his job. The star batter, who was recently appointed as India’s T20I skipper ahead of their upcoming series against Sri Lanka is currently at the peak of his career. He was also part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad and played a key role in the team’s historic triumph.
Suryakumar is set to embark on a new journey as India’s full-time captain in T20Is and would be hoping for new highs in his career. However, the journey has not been equally smooth for his childhood coach Ashok Aswalkar, who lost his job in December last year and is currently managing to earn only Rs 10,000 a month from a coaching gig to support his family.
Aswalkar, who played a key role in shaping Suryakumar’s career as a cricketer by taking him under his wings as a child, was working in a dual role as a curator and coach at the Chembur’s Anushakti Nagar ground and was earning a total of Rs 41,000 a month. However, he was ‘humiliated’ and fired from his job last year without much of an explanation, leaving him and his family in a spot of bother.
Aswalkar’s services were terminated after 24 years in a job where he gave his heart and soul to cricket and helped nurture several kids, shaping their cricketing careers. He was making Rs 26,000 a month as a groundsman and was paid a further Rs 15,000 a month for coaching children.
“I joined the BARC [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre] ground in 1989-90 and was assisting Jagannath Phanse as a groundsman and coach. I started at a monthly salary of R3,000 and when they [ASMC] discontinued my services in December 2023, I was getting R26,000 per month for the groundsman job and R15,000 for coaching from a coaching agency,” Aswalkar told Mid-day.
Aswalkar further revealed that he couldn’t even inform his family about his sacking as he feared it would lead them to panic. He is currently working as a coach at an indoor turf in Chembur, a job that pays him only Rs 10,000 a month, significantly less than what he was making from his previous job. Aswalkar reached out to Suryakumar after losing his job and got a positive response from his ward.
“I didn’t even tell my family members that I had lost my job. I just messaged Surya to say that I lost my job and told him who was responsible for this damage. Surya in response stopped entertaining that particular person,” he said.
While the actual reason behind his sacking remains unclear, Aswalkar revealed he was sacked after returning from leave which he took to attend one of his nephew’s wedding in December. No one talked to him on his return to the ground after his leave and he was eventually asked to return home without any explanation. While he was assured that he would get a call back when to return, Aswalkar revealed he never heard back from the organisers.
Suryakumar Yadav comes to the rescue of his childhood coach
Suryakumar is ready to come to the rescue of his childhood coach and has promised to assist him in opening a cricket academy in Mumbai where the duo can together provide cricket education to underprivileged and needy kids. Aswalkar revealed he approached Suryakumar with the idea of opening an academy and has received positive response from him.
“I am coaching youngsters in an indoor turf facility at Chembur now. I spoke with Surya about starting a cricket academy and he gave me a positive reply. We both want to provide coaching to needy youngsters. Money was never a priority for us, and it will not be in the future,” he said.
Ashok Aswalkar, the childhood coach of India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, was sacked from his job in December last year and is currently making Rs 10,000 a month from a coaching gig. Aswalkar was working as a coach-cum curator and it remains unclear why he was sacked. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
