Anukul Roy- a journey from a village in Samastipur to the Mumbai Indians camp

There are a number of states in India where cricket struggles for survival. Bihar is one of them. But that hasn’t deterred some determined youngsters to stop working hard for their dreams. They are disciplined and committed to making a name for themselves in the world of cricket. Anukul Roy is one such individual.

The 19-year-old hails from Bhirha, a remote village in Samastipur district in Bihar. Anukul is reaping the rewards of his immense hard work as he is a part of the Mumbai Indians dugout this IPL season after delivering a tremendous performance in the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup where he stood out as the joint highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

Roy secured a spot in the U-19 World Cup squad by impressing the management and securing a vote of confidence from the Coach Rahul Dravid himself. The left-arm spinner was the unsung hero of India in the U-19 World Cup this year. With a terrific average of 9.07, an economy of 3.84 and the best strike rate in the tournament, he captured 14 wickets in 6 matches. He proved his worth with the bat too by scoring a quick 33 runs against Pakistan and 28 runs against South Africa.

From an early age, he showed that he is capable of making it through. Anukul has played at the U-16 level for Bihar and done well. Later on, he moved to Jharkhand to pursue his dreams since Bihar has been kept out of Ranji Trophy for years now.

Former U-19 captain Amikar Dayal, who runs a cricket academy in Bihar said, “I hope a small-town boy’s success opens the door for many others and authorities start developing sports infrastructure in rural areas. It is nice to see him excel on the world stage.”

Chanchal Bhattacharya, MS Dhoni’s childhood coach and now also a member of the Jharkhand Cricket Association, is very impressed with Roy’s determination and commitment to the game. During India’s tour of England in 2017, Roy suffered a severe ankle injury but continued to play for the team. Bhattacharya said “It was amazing to see such a young kid put the game and his team ahead of his own injury. That is when I realized that this kid is special and will go to any length to finish on top. There are boys who play just to be a part of the action and then there are boys who walk onto the field to win. Roy goes out to win.”

Roy has been compared to Ravindra Jadeja for his ability to bowl accurately and being a strong hand down the batting order. This year, he has a golden opportunity with the Mumbai Indians. Withand Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar as the other Indian spin bowling options available for Mumbai, Anukul has a chance of a lifetime to cement his place in the playing XI whenever given a chance. We wish him all the best for this IPL season.