As Rahul Dravid once said, there’s a moving story behind the success of each Indian Cricketer. From not having proper financial support to facing the brunt of dirty politics in cricket, cricketers face many obstacles throughout their journey. Even after they make it onto the international stage, many careers are generally plagued by a fair share of on and off field controversies. While some cricketers fight all these odds and shape out successful careers, some bog down to the pressures and ultimately surrender to their misfortunes.
There have been many Indian Cricketers whose lives are nothing less than a fairytale. With the latest trend being that of making movies on the lives of cricketers, let's take a look at some of the Indian cricketers whose life can be transferred onto the silver screen and help inspire millions all over the world.
#5 The Pathan brothers
Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan were born in Mandvi of Vadodara. Their father used to serve as the muezzin in the local mosque and his monthly earnings were around a humble Rs 250 per month. The Pathan family had faced many financial hardships and the brothers found it really hard to support their cricketing needs.
They both had to ride on the same bicycle to commute to their school and the cricket ground, and also had to share the same kit bag. In fact, Irfan used to take 50 bucks from his father to buy a pair of second-hand shoes in the Friday market as they couldn’t afford a new pair.
But thanks to their immense hard work and commitment towards the game, both the brothers overcame their childhood challenges and eventually represented India in a number of games. While Irfan became a revelation as a young left arm swing bowler, Yusuf made his name as a hard hitting right hander who could dismantle any opposition on his given day.
The story of the Pathans will not only inspire thousands of struggling cricket aspirants across the country but also give a glimpse of their brotherly bond and the sacrifices they had to make to pursue their dreams.
#4 Virender Sehwag
Born in the small town of Najafgarh in Delhi, Virender Sehwag’s childhood was not an easy one. “Viru,” as he is fondly known, the former Indian opener grew up in a joint family and had to live along with 50 others in the same house.
His father was a grain merchant and wanted Sehwag to take over the same profession once he came of age. But the young Viru had no interest in joining the grain business and had a penchant for cricket since a very young age. He used to travel about 84 kilometres daily to play cricket and used to learn the art of batting by watching his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, play on television.
Sehwag grew from strength to strength and soon made it to the Indian team. Even though he took some time to establish himself into the team, Sehwag started catching everyone’s eyeballs with his uncompromising and blistering strokeplay.
And once he got promoted as the opener, there was no stopping him and he went on to establish himself as one of the most destructive openers the game has ever seen. Famous for his straightforward and aggressive nature, Sehwag has garnered fans all over the world and is one of the biggest success stories of Indian cricket. His story is a true testament to the fact that if you chase your dreams, they do come true.
#3 Sourav Ganguly
One of India’s finest captains India has ever seen, the story of Sourav Ganguly is filled with many fightbacks. Dada, as he is affectionately known, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata.
Ganguly was groomed and guided by his elder brother, Snehasish, who was also a player in the Bengal cricket team. Despite being right-handed, Ganguly learnt to bat left-handed so that he could use his brother’s equipment. After some consistent performances in the domestic circuits, Sourav got selected into the national team in the early 90s. However, things didn’ go start well for him and he unceremoniously dropped after only one ill-fated ODI appearance in the tour to Australia in 1992.
The southpaw, however, fought back and despite reservations from many made his way back into the side in 1996 – becoming an indispensable member of the side from then on. He would, later on, get appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team and in a period that many refer to as “the darkest day of Indian cricket”.
Ganguly had to lead the team after his predecessor, Mohd. Azharuddin got involved in a controversial match-fixing scandal. Those were some difficult times for Indian cricket but Ganguly, with his grit and leadership skills, helped the team sail through this period and turned the Indian cricket into box office stuff during his reign. He is credited for instilling the belief of winning matches overseas and is also hailed for identifying talents such as Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and M.S Dhoni among others.
The “Prince of Kolkata” had hit the lowest point in his career when he was dropped from the team after a prolonged feud with former coach Greg Chappell. But Ganguly being the fighter he is made a comeback into the Indian team and left the team on a high. The saga of Sourav Ganguly will showcase what a fighter and a true 'Dada' he really was.
#2 Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is the best all-rounder that India has ever produced and is also, arguably, one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Famously known as the Haryana Hurricane, Kapil created ripples in domestic cricket with his gifted cricketing abilities.
Characterised with a graceful bowling action and an ability to swing the ball, his bowling had the potential to penetrate through any batting order. Kapil was a champion with the bat as well and scored some crucial knocks when the team needed them the most. His 175* against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup is one of the finest ODI knocks ever.
He captained the Indian team to its first World Cup victory in 1983 – a moment in Indian cricket which is not only the most iconic but also one that inspired a generation to take up the game in years to come.
Unfortunately, Kapil’s name was dragged into a match fixing scandal in 1999. This left the entire cricketing world in shock and Kapil had to face a lot of humiliation. However, much to the relief of everyone, these charges were later dismissed.
From winning India's first World cup to facing the dark side of the match-fixing world, Kapil Dev has seen it all. He is certainly one of the country's brightest sporting heroes and his legend will continue to inspire many youngsters across the nation.
#1 Yuvraj Singh
Perhaps the most emotional and inspiring story in Indian Cricket would be that of Yuvraj Singh. After making an entry into the Indian team at a very young age of 19, Yuvraj made a name for himself as the next big thing in Indian cricket, and in time became a lynchpin in the ODI side. Yuvraj scripted some of the finest ODI and T20 knocks and played a pivotal role in helping India lift 2007 WT20 and 2011 World Cup titles.
Tragedy, however, struck when the southpaw was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left lung in 2011 and had to undergo chemotherapy to fight the disease. Being true to his fighting spirit, Yuvraj recuperated from Cancer and a few months later, made a comeback to the Indian team.
However, he had to face a bitter experience once again when India lost the 2014 WT20 final to Sri Lanka. The left-hander was widely blamed for this loss and was eventually dropped from the side. In fact, some fans even pelted stones on his house.
Once again, Yuvi, in the years to come, put up a spirited effort to make a comeback into the national team.
A true champion in all aspects, the legend of Yuvraj Singh will give courage to the millions of disease battlers out there and will exemplify the famous dialogue from Rocky Balboa, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
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