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Sahil Kumar: The Haryanvi cyclist who learnt Marathi through love

But sitting in the player's arena on Pune’s FC road after finishing the prologue race on January 19, he stuns everyone by speaking in fluent Marathi. One might even mistake him for a local Punekar.

3 min readPuneJan 20, 2026 10:35 AM IST

Indian Air Force cyclist Sahil Kumar surprises many by praising the Pune Grand Tour route in fluent Marathi after the prologue race. (Express)

Hailing from Kurukshetra in Haryana, Sahil is a Junior Warrant Officer with the Indian Air Force and winner of multiple national-level medals in cycling. Naturally, he speaks Hindi with a Haryanvi accent.

But sitting in the player’s arena on Pune’s FC road after finishing the prologue race on January 19, he stuns everyone by speaking in fluent Marathi. One might even mistake him for a local Punekar.

“Ekdum bhari route hota” (The route was really good), said cyclist Sahil Kumar, a member of the Indian National Team participating in the Pune Grand Tour.

Sahil says with a smile, “My wife Komal Deshmukh is from Pimpri-Chinchwad. She is also a cyclist. She plays for the railways team and is also a national medalist. She has taught me Marathi.”

Narrating the couple’s story, Sahil said that he met his wife at a cycling camp in Delhi in 2016. “We started speaking and first became friends and then started dating. We got married a year back. After I met her and she used to talk to her parents on the phone, I really liked the Marathi language and felt like I should also learn it. I used to ask her the meaning of all the words she would say. She would explain them to me and encourage me as well. It took me 5-6 years to learn it. I can speak Marathi well now.”

The couple is based in Patiala but regularly visit Pune to meet Komal’s parents. “I came to Pune for the first time in 2017 and met her father. He had no issues with our relationship, and neither did my parents have any issue,” says Sahil, who enjoys eating the local poha.

The transaction of languages in the husband-wife cyclist duo was not one-sided either. “She (Komal) has also learnt Haryanvi. Whenever she goes to my home she speaks with my mother and father in proper Haryanvi,” Sahil quips heartily.

Cycling career

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Sahil has been in the Indian team for over eight years. Having previously participated in the Commonwealth games, his personal goal is to podium at the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He clocked a 8:52:70 finish time in the prologue race on the first day of the Pune Grand Tour.

Sahil was introduced to cycling by his elder brother, himself a cyclist. He started his journey in the sport in 2012 at the age of 14 years. At the 38th National Games (2025), he won gold (Scratch Race), silver (Road Race) and bronze (Omnium). He also represented India at the Commonwealth Games 2018 and Asian Track Championships. Sahil was a key contributor to the Indian Air Force team’s national title at the 29th National Road Cycling Championships (2024).

His other laurels include Gold at Track Asia Cup 2017 (Team Sprint), Three Gold medals at National Championship 2021 (Road Race, Team Time Trial & Criterium), Gold at National Games 2025 (Scratch Race), and Gold at National Track Championship 2024 (Team Pursuit).

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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