New Delhi, Indian Premier League is a platform where players not only earn money but also fulfill their dreams. It is a platform where dreams get wings for players aiming to fly high in the sky.
One such cricketer has got a place in Chennai Super Kings for the next edition. In the ongoing auction for IPL 2023 in Kochi, Dhoni’s team gave a chance to a batsman who has faced a lot of difficulties at a very young age. We are talking about 18-year-old Sheikh Rashid, who has joined the team of Chennai Super Kings.
Sheikh Rashid has been bought for 20 lakh rupees. He was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the U-19 World Cup in 2022. He scored 201 runs in four matches of the tournament.
18-year-old Sheikh Rasheed comes from an ordinary family. His native city is Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. Rashid’s father Seth Balishwali has been instrumental in getting him here. He lost his job twice to fulfill his son’s dream of making a career in cricket. He used to take his son on a scooter 12 km away for training every day. They used to make him throw-down.
They would then take him to Mangalagiri, which was 40 km from their home. Where he used to take training from state and district level coaches.
Sheikh Rashid’s father had to leave a good job in an automobile company. He used to be late for work as he was taking his son for training.
He also had to suffer financial hardship for Rashid’s career. After the U-19 World Cup, he said “I was flatly refused to come to work at least twice”. Reminiscing the bad times, Balishwali said that a ball used to cost around Rs 400 and the kit was also expensive. So he started practicing with a synthetic ball. At that price, he would have got three or four such balls.
MSK Prasad, the former chief selector of the Indian team, also played an important role in Sheikh Rashid’s journey. He also set up three academies in rural areas while holding the position of Director of Cricket Operations of the State Association in Andhra Pradesh.
His aim was to find talent in small towns. Rashid was one such face. After the U-19 World Cup, he said that Rashid’s father should get the most credit. They come from a normal family. But that didn’t stop the son from dreaming big. The best thing about guys like Balishwali is that they have a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude.SS1MS
