5 Indian cricketers from a poor background who made it big

Indian cricket is full of tales of cricketers who made it big from humble backgrounds. Beyond all the glitz and glamor of the game, there are numerous stories of hardship and heartbreak among players. Some got lost in the arduous journey and sacrificed their cricketing dreams. A few others went that extra mile and managed to achieve their goals.

With the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, cricketers found another avenue to fulfill their dreams while making loads of money as well. From Chetan Sakariya to T Natarajan, there have been numerous heart-warming narratives of Indian cricketers making a mark against all odds.

---

5 Indian cricketers who defeated poverty

While Indian cities are making continued progress with the emergence of the latest technology, a number of players who have made it big in Indian cricket over the last two decades have come from unassumingly simple backgrounds. In this feature, we look at five Indian players who have achieved fame by overcoming poverty.

---

#5 Mohammad Shami

Indian cricket team’s senior pacer Mohammed Shami. Pic: Getty Images

Mohammad Shami hails from Sahaspur in Uttar Pradesh's Almora district. He revealed after completing 200 Test wickets during the series in South Africa that his father would cycle 30 kms every day and take him to a coaching camp.

The pacer’s father did so because the cricketer’s village did not have proper facilities for cricket training.

Shami’s father was a farmer, who himself had been a fast bowler in his youth. Before Shami became a household name, Sahaspur was more famous for its sugar mills.

The cricketer’s father knew that Shami couldn’t fulfil his dream of becoming a cricketer in his village. Shami thus moved to Kolkata as a youngster and so began his rise to the top, against all odds.

---

#4 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is one Indian cricket’s genuine match-winners with the ball. Pic: Getty Images

Team India’s lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah lost his father when he was only five years old. His mother had to endure numerous hardships to raise the cricketer.

In a video shared by his IPL franchise, the Mumbai Indians (MI), in 2019, Bumrah recalled that, as a child, he could only afford one pair of shoes and one pair of T-shirts. He used to wash them daily and wear the same pair everyday.

Life took a turn for good for Bumrah when he was picked for the IPL. He made his debut as a 19-year-old in the 2013 edition. He sent back Virat Kohli in a match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Bumrah finished with figures of three for 32, also claiming the wickets of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. The rest, as they say, is history.

---

#3 Ravindra Jadeja

Indian cricket team’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Pic: Getty Images

Arguably the greatest fielder India has ever produced, Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was born into a middle-class Rajput family in Jamnagar, Gujarat. His father worked as a watchman.

At the age of 17, his mother passed away and the loss left the young Indian cricketer devastated. His sister then took on the responsibility of supporting the family. Since Jadeja’s mother was a nurse at a government hospital, the family could live in a one-room flat that was allotted to them.

Overcoming the sadness of losing his mother at a young age, Jadeja focused on his game and was selected for India U-19 in 2005. He was the vice-captain when India won the 2008 U-19 World Cup.

Jadeja was also part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) team that won the inaugural IPL in 2008. Today, he is among the first picks in any Indian playing XI and has indeed come a long way.

---

#2 Hardik Pandya

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Pic: Getty Images

Hailing from Surat in Gujarat, a young Hardik Pandya did not enjoy any luxuries as he does now as one of the star all-rounders in world cricket. His late father, Himanshu, ran a small car finance business in Surat. He had to shut that down and move to Vadodara to provide better cricketing facilities to his sons, Hardik and Krunal. Despite financial difficulties, Himanshu managed to enroll his sons at the Kiran More’s Cricket Academy.

A few years ago, Hardik said in an interview with The Indian Express that they used to have five-rupee Maggi as their breakfast and lunch for nearly a year as they did not have money for proper food. The brothers took part in local tournaments and earned ₹400-500.

The good times began when Hardik was bought by the Mumbai Indians for ₹10 lakh at the IPL 2015 auction. He recently led debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) to victory in IPL 2022, against all expectations!

---

#1 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is a legend of Indian cricket. Pic: Getty Images

Born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand), MS Dhoni had to slog very hard to fulfill his cricketing dream. His father worked as a pump operator in a junior management position in the Doranda area of Ranchi.

Yet, 'MSD' dreamt of making it big in international cricket, even if that meant working as a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Kharagpur railway station in West Bengal for a few years in early 2000s.

During his stint as a TTE, he got a chance to represent the South Eastern Railways (SER) cricket team. Dhoni checked train tickets and played cricket as well. He also took part in a number of tennis-ball cricket tournaments. As per the book, "MSD, The Man, The leader", the cricketer earned ₹2,000 per match.

There were quite a few doubters when Dhoni was handed his international debut. But it was only a matter of time before the critics were silenced by the Indian cricket legend.

Besides leading India to the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs, Dhoni has also helped the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bag four IPL trophies.

---