East Delhi Premier League: Meet the stars of Gautam Gambhir's T20 cricket tournament

He started this tournament on November 30 at the newly redeveloped Yamuna Sports Complex for those in the 17-36 age group whose cricketing dreams never took off due to their low-income backgrounds.
East Delhi Premier League  action from  Yamuna Sports Complex. (Photo  | Parveen Negi)
East Delhi Premier League action from Yamuna Sports Complex. (Photo | Parveen Negi)

NEW DELHI: Twenty-five players in 10 teams from 10 constituencies in East Delhi are currently competing at the East Delhi Premier League (EDPL). East Delhi MP and former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir says he started this T20 cricket tournament on November 30 at the newly redeveloped Yamuna Sports Complex for those in the 17-36 age group whose cricketing dreams never took off due to their 
low-income socio-economic backgrounds.

Candidates who got selected in the trials were given training at three different grounds before the matches. Former Ranji Trophy players who represented India were chosen as selectors and coaches. The EDPL finals are on December 13. The prize money for the winning team is Rs 30 lakh, while for the runner-up the amount Rs 20 lakh. “In order to groom the best player, we have decided to give him international-level training in Australia or Dubai, apart from the cash money and a car,” disclosed an EDPL official.

“We are not interfering in the work of Board of Control for Cricket in India and Delhi & District Cricket Association because it is their role to develop cricket. We organised this event at a local level to give underprivileged but talented kids an idea how real cricket is played at a national level platform with state-of-the-art facilities,” the official added.

Yamuna Sports Complex was upgraded to Ranji Trophy standards with two international-level dressing rooms, four pitches, practice pitches, flood lights, an electronic scoreboard, canopies, dressing room, sponsors box. Five players from EDPL tournament tell us about their lives:

Rajan Mehto (17, bowler).Vishwas Nagar Devils

The Hasanpur resident originally from Bihar, Rajan, lives with his parents and two brothers. His father is a carpenter, mother is a housewife, elder brother plays cricket and is getting trained at Vijay Dahiya cricket academy, while his younger brother is in school.

But Mehto received no support from his parents to play cricket and has been struggling to convince them that he will do good, and one day will qualify to find a spot among the auctioned players. “It is all about destiny. My elder brother, who is professionally trained and had taught me cricket, did not get selected for EDPL, though both of us filled out the trial forms together,” he says.

With EDPL, Rajan got to play for the first time on a cricket ground. “At times, I still cannot believe this is real, when I am standing on the pitch, hearing the crowd cheering for the team. The best day was when I got to wear the uniform and represent a team. We are all thankful to Gautam Gambhir for bringing a change in our lives.”

Vijay Pal (29, bowler). Trilokpuri Stars

“I want the headlines to read, ‘Chaiwala becomes Cricketer’,” says Vijay Pal, who runs a tea stall that he has to move it around depending on the availability of space. This Trilokpuri resident has a 10-year-old son. His mother, elder brother, sister, and wife all work as house cleaners in the nearby housing societies.
Every Sunday, Pal used to shut his shop and go to Sector 105, Noida, to play cricket. “A friend of mine told me about the EDPL trial forms, and I filled it during the last three days of submission. I was overwhelmed when I got a call for the trials. My dream to play on a real cricket ground has come true. One of my friends showed my mother a video of me playing in the EDPL match, and she started crying with happiness.”

Pal is on a mission to prove naysayers wrong. “People question how can I start playing cricket matches at 29 without formal training? But with a little support, I am confident  I can do much more than my own will.”

Mohammad Wasim (18, bowler). Shahadra Avengers

“I reached the trials wearing slippers, but surprised the selectors with my bowling speed of 140-km per hour,” recalls Mohammad Wasim of Shahadra Avengers.

The 18-year-old Bihari colony resident lost his parents three years ago due to poor health, and since then has been living with his brother and sister-in-law. Wasim is a Class 5 dropout who works as a newspaper vendor in the morning and as a home guard in the evening at Shastri Park. Six years ago, he began sharpening his passion – cricket – by practicing at the DDA Park for long hours.

Gautam Gambhir recently attributed Wasim’s tryst with tweet: “Mohammed Wasim used to distribute newspapers, now his photograph will be printed in them.” To this, Wasim remarks, “He made me famous. I am getting calls from everywhere.”

Wasim wants to play for the Indian Cricket team one day, and views Jasprit Bumrah as his idol. “There were times I had no money to buy food. God brought me till here and I am sure he will take me to the highest grounds as well. Hard work matters,” he says.

Moin Chaudhary (19, batsman/wicketkeeper). Okhla Tigers

Harbouring the dream to play like Rohit Sharma, captain of the Indian national cricket team in T20 is Moin Chaudhary. This Okhla Vihar resident and alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia School, got an opportunity to play school-level cricket tournaments in Classes 11 and 12.

His father Sajid is an electrician in Jamia Hamdard University and mother is a housewife, and both do not support his passion for cricket. “Like every other parent, they want me to focus on my studies,” says Chaudhary, who has two sisters and a younger brother. 

“I am aware of my family’s weak financial condition, and I will continue my studies by applying for distance learning in the Bachelor of Arts (Hons). But I don’t want to give up on my cricketing dreams.

“There is so much I have to learn to grow in this game. I need enough training to give good performances in the four matches. Rest, I leave it to god,” says Chaudhary.

Pratham Kashyap (17, batsman). Laxmi Nagar Warriors

From losing his father when he was just nine to supplying tiffins at hostels and helping his mother prepare meals at a small mess in Shakarpura, Laksmi Nagar, to now hitting sixes as a trained batsman with Laxmi Nagar Warriors, Pratham Kashyap’s life has been a tale of struggle.

Kashyap, who studied at Anglo Sanskrit VJHS School, Patparganj, started taking professional training at St Lawrence School from Class 6 since there were no sports in his school. He went on to receive training at Mishra Sports Club and LB Shastri Cricket Academy, and in 2019, got free-of-cost training at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

“My younger brother wants to join the police force, but I always wanted to play cricket for my country. I wish to be among India’s best players. Had my father been there, he would have been so proud seeing my name in the EDPL,” says Kashyap, who aims to become as successful as his idol, India skipper Virat Kohli. 

“I also want to give my mother all the happiness as she struggled a lot alone to support my brother and I after my father passed away,” Kashyap reveals.

Coaches upbeat

“The coach selection was quite professional, with a committee comprising four former Indian cricket team players set up for the selection process. All the selected 10 coaches have a professional cricket background,” informs Adeel Ahmad, Okhla Tigers coach and Sports Officer at Jamia Millia Islamia (Schools).

He says EDPL will prove to be the best training ground for underprivileged children who harbour dreams of playing for India someday. “The selection committee did not deny any boy’s chance to participate in the trials even if they showed up barefoot. We did not get this kind of platform and facilities that the EDPL is trying to give to these kids now,” Ahmad adds.

While Rohit Mehra, Trilokpuri Stars coach, feels that kids who have never played under the floodlights on a ‘real’ cricket ground now got a national level platform, the only disadvantage is the little time the coaches had to train the players. 

“It was difficult to decide their order of play because we did not get time to learn much about their capabilities. This is why all 25 candidates in the team may not get a chance to perform,” says the Ranji Trophy player.

Another Ranji Trophy player and now Gandhi Nagar Gladiators coach, Pradeep Jain, observes: “We have a bunch of very enthusiastic players. I am sure at least two-three from each team will have a bright future.”

Facts

  • Per team 25 players
  • Winning team to get cash prize of A30 lakh
  • Runners-up to bag A20 lakh

Man of the Series to get WagonR car
Best batsman, bowler, fielder, wicketkeeper, player hitting most sixes to get scooters
Residents of East Delhi in 17-36 age group participating

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