From Rs 10-A-Wicket To Deodhar Trophy Call-Up: The Inspirational Story Of Pappu Roy
The game of cricket especially after the advent of the Indian Premier League has witnessed several rags to riches stories. But perhaps the story of Pappu Roy tops them all. Roy’s journey in the game so far is more than enough to prove that hard-work and determination can help any individual cross any barrier.
Roy is gearing up to play for India C squad led by Ajinkya Rahane in the Deodhar Trophy. His journey, at the moment, is looking nothing less than a fairytale but before the start of the journey was heart-wrenching. Roy lost his parents even before he could speak properly,
And as he gears up to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the Indian cricket, Roy recollected his tough journey. He revealed how each wicket ensured he would get to eat proper lunch and dinner.
“Bhaiya log bulate the aur bolte the ball dalega toh khana khilaoonga. Aur har wicket ka 10 rupaiya dete the. (Seniors in my locality used to summon me to bowl and gave me Rs 10 per wicket),” Roy told PTI.
Born to a Bihari couple who migrated to Bengal, Papu lost his parents – Jamdar Roy and Parvati Devi – when he was an infant. His father, a truck driver had a heart attack while mother passed away after prolonged illness.
His parents hailed from Khajuri village, about 41 kilometres away from Chhapra in Saran district of Bihar, and had come to Kolkata in search of work and that’s the only thing he knows about them.
“Unko (parents) kabhi dekha nahin… Kabhi gaon gaya nahin, khali suna hai (Never seen them nor have I been anytime to my native. I’ve only heard about them),” Roy revealed.
“Wish they were here today to see me playing for India C. I could not sleep whole night yesterday and kept crying. I think my years and years of hard work is finally paying off now,” he added.
Roy’s uncle and aunt took care of him after his parents passed away. However, things turned worse when his uncle passed away too while he was just 15. Arranging even one meal a day was a huge task before Roy turned to cricket.
He had initially started off as a pacer but soon took up spin bowling after being convinced by Howrah Union Cricket Academy coach Sujit Saha. He was the highest wicket-taker in CAB’s second division league in 2011 when he got 50 wickets in nine matches for Dalhousie.
But he could not break into the Bengal team and soon shifted to Odisha. It was in 2015 that he first got a “break” in the form of entry into the Odisha U-23 team.
“There was a U-23 state team trial in Cuttack and my friends told me you will be picked if selector Suresh Kumar sir watches you bowl. It was only during the third match Suresh sir came and I was selected,” he said.
Within three years, Roy made his senior team debut in List A cricket getting 14 wickets from eight group league games for Odisha. Roy will be keen to make a mark in the Deodhar Trophy to further enhance his reputation.
