Times of India

LUCKNOW, February 26: When Praveen Kumar was born 21 years ago, his family in Meerut, with a tradition in wrestling, would have dreamt of him taking to the akhara. His uncle Jagat Singh, a noted wrestler, has a Bharat Kesri under his belt.

But fate had destined something else for Praveen. One day, while watching a cricket match, he was fascinated by the sound of the ball rattling the stumps. That day, Praveen vowed to take up cricket in right earnest.

Since then, his fortunes have moved only in one direction, northwards. The way Praveen outfoxed a batsman of Kumar Sangakkara's calibre drew praise from none other than Sunil Gavaskar, who called him a "street-smart cricketer".

"It's strange but true that my early exposure to wrestling has helped me a lot. Not only did it help build my strength and endurance, wrestling also made me mentally tough. Moreover, it taught me to overcome the fear of performing on the biggest stage," Praveen had told TOI before his departure to Australia.

Pramod Gupta, his coach at the Sports Hostel in Lucknow, was delighted at the success achieved by yet another ward. "Whenever he has played for UP, be it at the U-19, U-22 level or the Ranji Trophy, Praveen has performed consistently, taking wickets and playing cameo roles with the bat. His strong performance in Hobart is encouraging."

"He is a natural athlete and though he gives an impression of being a rustic from backward UP, he has a smart brain. Don't go on his accent and behaviour, judge him by his performance on the field," Gupta said about Praveen.

Praveen is the latest addition to the assemble line of UP cricketers who have gone on to represent India in recent times. Be it Mohammed Kaif, RP Singh, Suresh Raina or Piyush Chawla, UP has been producing talented cricketers for some time now.