7 Indian Cricketers Who Fought Poverty To Leave An Indelible Mark In World Cricket

India is in a state of development, and most of the Indians are still trying to make both ends meet when it comes to their financial requirements. India, being a relatively young country, has not been able to evacuate itself from the clutches of poverty. However, this has also had positive effects on its people as they have a stronger desire to outshine their global counterparts.

Indian cricket has also witnessed some of the great stars who have displayed extreme grit and resilience and have scaled the summit on the international stage. As mentioned earlier, these cricketers have come from a downtrodden background, but the desire within them to outshine their counterparts has been fabulous.

Today, we’ll take a look at the seven Indian cricketers whose zeal to fight poverty and make a mark in world cricket has become inspirational for a plethora of budding talent.

7 Indian Cricketers Who Fought Against Poverty And Made A Mark In World Cricket

7. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja has established himself as one of the best all-rounders that are currently present in world cricket. Playing crucial knocks lower down the order, clinching important wickets in middle-overs, and contributing by his exemplary fielding, Ravindra Jadeja makes up for the perfect modern-day cricketer.

However, there was a time when the Indian all-rounder had a tough phase to deal with during his childhood. Jadeja’s father was a security guard while his mother was a nurse, and they lived in government quarters.

6. MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni needs no introduction in world cricket because of his accomplishments and his contribution to the sport over the past 15 years. MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful cricketers ever as he has won almost everything that there is to win. Time and again, Dhoni has rescued the Indian team from clutch situations, and a lot of credit for India’s dominance in world cricket goes to Dhoni.

However, while growing up, MS Dhoni has witnessed a fair share of struggle before reaching the summit. The world cup winner’s father was a pitch curator, who wished that his son becomes a ticket collector. To make ends meet, Dhoni even worked in the railways, but ultimately, he made it big in the world of cricket.

5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the swing king of India, has established himself as one of the most economical bowlers in world cricket. He has done wonders for team India over the last 5-7 years and has been an important figure of the team, especially in the limited-overs setup.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, himself, in an interview, revealed that he did not have even the shoes that are required to play professional cricket during his aspirational age. However, he always had the support from his family, and now he has repaid the faith imposed on him.

4. Umesh Yadav

One of India’s most essential bowlers in Test cricket, Umesh Yadav, has been an inspiration for many young fast bowlers. The Indian pacer’s speed and his strength have been exceptional, and although he has had an inconsistent run in the limited-overs, no one can deny the fact that he is a fantastic Test bowler.

Umesh’s father was a coal miner who struggled to provide proper food to his family. Still, his son fulfilled his dream of representing the nation on the cricket field. Umesh Yadav is another Indian fast bowler who has grown through the ranks and asserted himself as one of the great pacers in modern-day cricket.

3. Munaf Patel

One of India’s most influential figures in the 2011 World Cup win, Munaf Patel also hails from a poor background. However, with his grit and determination, Munaf Patel ensured that he made it to the top and made his sufferings worthy enough.

His father did not have his land. Hence, he had to work on someone else’s farm. As the family faced many difficulties, his relatives asked Munaf to join his father. But, he took the other route, and became a cricketer, earning loads of money with his fast bowling skills.

2. Harbhajan Singh

One of India’s all-time leading wicket-takers, Harbhajan Singh, has been a world-class bowler over the years. Harbhajan was quintessential in India’s success in the 2000s as the off-spinner went on to play more than 100 Test matches and clinched more than 400 wickets in the format.

However, Bhajji had to battle poverty before making it big at the international level. Once Virender Sehwag revealed, that because of the financial conditions of the family Harbhajan Singh thought of becoming a truck driver. But, he managed to fight that face and achieve the stardom that he has.

1. Irfan Pathan-Yusuf Pathan

The Pathan brothers from Baroda have been world-beaters in the cricketing sphere for the Indian team. While Irfan Pathan was more of a bowling all-rounder, Yusuf Pathan was a mammoth figure with the bat, and they were termed as the brothers of destruction in world cricket.

However, Pathan brothers’ father used to work for a mere salary of Rs.250 before the started playing for India. To make the dreams of his Pathan brothers alive, he used to buy torn shoes for them and used to stitch them so that his son can wear the shoes.

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