When you speak about Mumbai cricketers then you associate the word ‘Khadoos instantly with them. However, the basic meaning of it is not meant in a rude sense. In the cricketing sense, it means who is actually tough and not willing to surrender easily. Perhaps it is this particular attitude which has helped them produce top class cricketers since the inception of the game in the country. Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy title a record 41 times.
The Mumbai cricketers are trained in a totally different way altogether right from age group level cricket. A young cricketer in Mumbai faces unequal competition from other states and the cricketers are nurtured here in a totally different way. Right from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to the Rohit Sharmas, all Mumbaikars have followed the difficult path to be successful in international cricket. Travelling for many hours to reach the ground and travelling on local train has become a daily routine for them.
So it is not a surprise that Mumbai’s latest fast bowling sensation Sharul Thakur is no different either. He has also represented India in a couple of T20I’s and 3 ODI’s. For the better part of his career, he has spent his life travelling in local train from Mumbai to Palghar. However, despite entering the international circuit, the love affair of Shardul with the local train hasn’t stopped yet.
“They say the boy who used to travel with us is now playing for India. But I could sense people in the compartment looking at me and wondering whether I really was ‘Shardul Thakur’. A few college kids then Googled my picture just to be sure and then asked for a selfie. I told all of them to wait till I got off at Palghar,” he said.
“Many were amazed that an India cricketer was travelling with them. Some old-timers were recalling how they’ve been seeing me in the train for years. But my feet remain very grounded. I have not received anything on a platter and worked hard for it,” added Shardul.
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