IPL 2022 mega auction’s rags to riches tale: Small-time salon owner’s medium pacer son Kuldeep Sen bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh

By Express News Service

BHOPAL: The IPL 2022 auctions have ushered a rags to riches tale for the Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh.

Ram Pal Sen, who runs a small hair cutting salon at Sirmour Chouraha in Rewa town is on cloud nine since Sunday, when his promising 25-year-old medium pacer son Kuldeep Sen was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh.

The lanky medium pacer, hailing from Rewa district’s Hariharpur village will join speedsters Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna and Navdeep Saini in the RR ranks to test the best willow wielders of the game in the coming IPL season starting in April.

“It’s like a dream come true. The same game of cricket for which he was scolded and beaten by me in his school days, has ushered glory and fortune to my family, which for years has been surviving on the small salon run near Sirmour Chouraha. On being thrashed by me for wasting time in cricket, Kuldeep told me only one thing that cricket was his passion and dream, which will usher us glory. But I never dreamt that a small-time salon owner’s son will not only usher glory, but also fortune to his family with the game of cricket,” elated Ram Pal Sen said with wet eyes.

The third among five children (eldest among three brothers) of Ram Pal Sen and Geeta Sen, Kuldeep started playing cricket at the Vindhya Cricket Academy (VCA) club around a decade back.

“Like many others at the club, Kuldeep hailed from a very humble background, but his hunger to make big in cricket made us zero our eyes on him. His thirst for success and dedication, prompted us to waive off his academy fees and even fund his kits in the formative years,” recounts Aril Anthony, the proud coach of the promising pacer in Rewa.

“He is regularly bowling at 135-140 kph and has the unusual knack of surprising even the best batsmen with his killer in-swing and out-swingers and the menacing in-cutters. Entire VCA now aspires to see him making mark among the best in international cricket in the IPL arena. His success in IPL 2022 will inspire many other promising talents from our region to dream and make big in the world of cricket,” Aril Anthony, the MP Cricket Association coach posted in Rewa said.

Now training hard to justify his inclusion in the ranks of the inaugural IPL title winner, Kuldeep told The New Indian Express “being from a humble background, my father’s anger on me and mother’s love for me, besides the peerless coaching by Aril Sir and guidance by ex India pacer and our club senior Ishwar Pandey have inspired me to dream big.”

“I still remember the days, when the Club waived off my fees and Ishwar Bhaiya gave his spikes to me as I was unable to buy a new pair for me. It was only after 2015, when I was selected to the u-19 team of Madhya Pradesh that I started funding my cricket needs from financial support of MPCA. This is the third year that I’ve played at trials of IPL teams and finally succeeded in being selected for donning an IPL team’s colours. Presently I’m focusing on the Ranji Trophy season with my state’s squad and will try my best to justify my selection for IPL that will open the floodgates of the premier tourney for others like me,” Kuldeep said.

After the u-19 and u-23 state teams, Kuldeep made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in 2018-19 Ranji Trophy and claimed his maiden five wicket haul against Punjab in November 2018. He made his Twenty20 debut for MP in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in February 2019 and List A debut in September 2019, for MP in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He claimed 25 wickets in eight matches in his debut Ranji Trophy season and 20 scalps in six matches in the ensuing season. Kuldeep is the second player from Rewa, after ex India pacer Ishwar Pandey (also from VCA Club) to make it to the IPL.