New Delhi: ‘Maine sirf unko yeh kaha ki agar woh khelenga nahi toh galiyon main time nikaalega’ (I only told him that if he doesn’t play then he will be wandering his time in the lanes). These were the eye-catching words said by Ravinder Singh to Mayaram Pant, who was hesitant to allow his son Pranav Pant to take cricket as a profession.
On Saturday, Pranav is all set to don the national colours and that too against Pakistan in the ACC Men’s U-19 Asia Cup 2024. India will open their continental campaign against their arch-rivals at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai and there’s a big possibility of the talented Delhi all-rounder making his U-19 debut in the high-octane clash.
Pranav’s cricketing journey has been full of dedication and obsession to achieve his dream. The boy from Delhi’s Rohini never saw anything beyond cricket right from his school days at the Presidium school in Pitampura. It is the place where physical education (PE) teacher Ravinder Singh first set his eyes on the 2nd-grade boy, who showcased great cricketing potential.
Ravinder Singh: The ultimate mentor
Three years after observing the prodigy, Ravinder decided to enroll him at his Inborn Star Cricket Academy. However, the task wasn’t simple as Pranav’s father, like many parents in the country was of the notion that sports won’t lead one to a well-settled life. It was only the resistance of Pranav’s PE teacher that influenced his father to give a nod and the boy started with a leather ball in Grade 5.
It was in Grade 7 when Pranav took professional cricket seriously after performing well for the U-14 Delhi team. He would practice twice in day – once each in the morning and evening. He made a routine where exercising would kick off his day to keep fitness in check followed by batting drills in the morning. Three times in a week, the promising all-rounder focused on bowling sessions.
Pranav has played as an opener in academy and club cricket tournaments under the watchful and strict eyes of his coaches, who would be unhappy even if he scored between 40-60.
Kuldeep Rawat, who runs the club Golden Hawks, for which Pranav has represented in DDCA tournaments, has chastised the youngster that he can’t throw his wicket and getting out for 30-40 runs wasn’t his potential. Rawat is currently the coach of the senior Delhi men’s cricket team and attributed Pranav’s hard work to his India U-19 selection.
“Kuldeep sir often tells me that once I am set then I shouldn’t lose my wicket. I feel bad for that and I also get scolded. I prefer to get set and play long innings before returning in the dugout,” Pranav told News9 Sports in an exclusive conversation.
Rawat’s thoughts were reiterated by Ravinder as he would analyse Pranav’s every dismissal and get them rectified during the drill sessions.
“Regardless of what he scores, we always discuss on the shortcomings be it playing leg-spin or cross ball, and we work on that in the drills. The idea is just that we catch it there and then solve it immediately rather than stretching those woes for a long time,” Ravinder told News9 Sports.
The making of an all-rounder
Ravinder might have seen his own young self in Pranav, perhaps that’s the reason he wanted his disciple to become a wicket-keeper batter like him. Besides being impressed with Pranav’s hand-eye coordination and shot-making ability, Ravinder was mesmerised by his bowling action. A few glimpses of Pranav bowling in the nets were enough for Ravindra to change his decision and shift his focus on turning him into a fearless all-rounder (left-handed batter and left-arm pacer).
“I checked his bowling action, like bowling round the wicket the 360-degree rolling angle was visible. I thought we shouldn’t waste the talent and I dropped the wicket-keeping plans,” Ravinder recalls.
Pranav’s flexibility a great quality in his bid to achieve greatness
While Pranav is better equipped as an opener he might have to quickly get accustomed to playing in other batting positions to make a mark at the international level. Like several big players in their young days, Pranav was made to bat in not his usual position (No.4 or No.5) in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy last month.
While playing for East Delhi Riders in the inaugural season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL), Pranav would come into bat in the lower-middle order as the playing X1 boasted the likes of Anuj Rawat, Sujal Singh, skipper Himmat Singh, Mayank Rawat and Hardik Sharma in the top and middle order.
While it’s still not clear where the 18-year-old southpaw would bat for the Hrishikesh Kanitkar-coached India U-19 team in the Asia Cup, Ravinder pointed out that Pranav never goes for a barren run even if he is put into uncharted territory.
“There is no big phase for him where he isn’t getting enough runs. Maybe he will be off for one match or the second match, but in the third, he will make an important contribution to making his own setup. I haven’t seen a phase where he hasn’t scored well in 4-5 matches in a row,” said Ravinder.
DPL’s role in Pranav’s growth as a cricketer
Pranav credited his stint with East Delhi Riders where he honed a few new skills and found a new approach, which boosted his confidence in the following age-group domestic tournaments.
“I learned (cashed in) on the experience from my coaches and my seniors which helps me now in my game. Getting that exposure also helped me gain enough confidence in domestic cricket (U-19). I was around with seniors such as Himmat Singh, Mayank Rawat, and Anuj Rawat, and got to learn a lot from them,” said Pranav.
Pranav smashed 292 runs against Himachal Pradesh in the Cooch Behar Trophy 2023-24 edition. He set a record for the highest score by a Delhi U-19 batter at that point only for Aaryavir Sehwag (son of former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag) to break it recently with 297 runs against Meghalaya in the ongoing edition.
In an intense Delhi vs Himachal Cooch Behar Trophy clash, a high-scoring draw unfolded with Himachal securing a slim 13-run lead in the 1st innings. Pranav Pant’s outstanding 292 runs for Delhi showcased immense talent, leaving cricket fans in awe. A future star in the making. pic.twitter.com/SXOjio8iCQ
— DDCA (@delhi_cricket) December 18, 2023
Getting noticed by VVS Laxman and India U-19 World Cup expectations
Pranav performed exceptionally in the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2022 for the Delhi U-16 team, scoring over 300 runs and returning with 22 scalps. The sublime form earned him his first call for the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for a 25-day camp. He got the attention of NCA chief VVS Laxman and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.
The impression helped him earn a spot in the second NCA camp in April 2023 for the U-19 probables. He was shortlisted along with the likes of Uday Saharan, Musheer Khan, and Raj Limbani. The camp, inadvertently, led to the expectations that the 2024 ICC World Cup in South Africa was on the cards for both Pranav and Ravinder. However, Pranav wasn’t named in the 15-member squad led by Saharan.
Nevertheless, the due has come 10 months later and Pranav considers this as another opportunity with eyes firm on elevating his performance.
“This will be a normal cricket match of a bat and ball. I always see every game as an opportunity to level up my game. This opportunity is similar to that,” he said.
Pranav, who recently turned 18 doesn’t get overawed or excited with the news of selection and achievements, notes Ravinder.
“He didn’t react emotionally as he gets overawed by all these things, but his father called me as there is a natural excitement and happiness ensuing when you hear such news. When me and Pranav talk about cricket, he doesn’t show enough excitement, and he has that personality (somewhat modesty).”
Pranav will be the first player from Delhi to play for an India U19 team since Yash Dhull led the team to a World Cup triumph in 2022 in the West Indies. For his placid personality to be recognised on the global stage, the 18-year-old will have to be top of his game at the continental age-group event in the conditions of Dubai and Sharjah over the next few days.
Pranav Pant: From being told to stay away from cricket to being selected for India’s U-19 team for the Asia Cup, Delhi all-rounder’s cricketing journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
