We cleared those rocks ourselves as we couldn’t afford a JCB truck: Ravi Bishnoi's inspiring journey to success

Kings XI Punjab leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi recalled how the pains he had to take to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cricketer. Bishnoi was originally from West Rajasthan, where there was not a lot of buzz about cricket. Bishnoi had the idea to build an academy in order to follow his dreams.

However, Bishnoi could not afford even a JCB truck to level the ground and he along with his mates had to remove all the rocks on the field by themselves. By working hard, he was able to form Jodhpur's Spartans Cricket Academy, where he trained to become a better bowler.

"Our ground used to be just a patch of barren land filled with rocks. We cleared those rocks ourselves because back then we couldn’t afford a JCB truck. Then, we planted the grass on the ground ourselves, the special red mud needed for the wicket was also ordered by us, and we leveled the playing surface as well,” Ravi Bishnoi was quoted as saying by the Kings XI Punjab's official website.

Ravi Bishnoi recalled how his coaches motivated him to succeed

Ravi Bishnoi credits his coaches for keeping him motivated through hard times.

Ravi Bishnoi ended up as the highest wicket-taker in the 2020 U19 World Cup and impressed everyone. There were times in the past where he was overlooked by selectors on multiple occasions, but it was his coaches that motivated him to have faith in his abilities and helped him to keep going.

Finally, the 20-year-old got his chance in the Rajasthan U-19 team and the rest is history.

“I felt like I was not able to do anything as a cricket player, not getting any results for all this hard work, but it was my coaches who told me that up and downs are part and parcel of the game, and motivated me to continue playing. For three years then I was trying to break into the U-19 Rajasthan team, just waiting for that one chance to prove myself,” Ravi Bishnoi said.

“At these trials too, I was initially overlooked by the selectors but my coaches requested them to give me another chance through which I was picked in the U-19 Rajasthan squad,” he further added.

Ravi Bishnoi will be itching to get out on the field and bowl for KXIP in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A strong season with the ball could put him in contention for a place in the Indian squad.