Premium
This is an archive article published on March 19, 2008

I was mad about cricket: Praveen Kumar

A broken wooden plank that he got moulded as a bat for a mere Rupee one was the first step that Praveen Kumar took towards making a now-successful cricket career.

google-preferred-btn
.

A broken wooden plank that he got moulded as a bat for a mere Rupee one was the first step that Praveen Kumar took towards making a now-successful cricket career despite coming from a family of wrestlers.

The all-rounder, who won two man of the match awards in the four ODIs that he played on the tour of Australia, recalled that one moment that ultimately made him defy his family to pursue what became a passion for him.

8220;My family was dead against me playing cricket. All of them were wrestlers and wanted to carry the tradition but I was mad about cricket,8221; Praveen told PTI-Bhasha in an interview.

Such was the family8217;s opposition to Praveen8217;s cricketing ambitions that they refused to get him a bat but he soon found a way out of the problem.

8220;I was in fifth standard when I found this broken wooden plank on the rooftop of my house. I had Rupee one with me8230; I took along a cousin and got the plank moulded into a bat at a nearby carpenter8217;s shop,8221; he recalled.

The Haryana-player, who was sold for a whopping Rs 1.25 crore in the Indian Premier League IPL bidding, played his first match for a prize money of a mere Rs two against a team from his own neighbourhood.

 

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Live Blog
PHOTOS
In pics: From concept supercars to electronic SUV's: Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 was all about innovation
In Pics: From Concept Supercars to Electric SUVs – Innovation at Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025
Top Stories
hindu man dead in Bangladesh
Hindu newspaper editor shot dead in Bangladesh amid spate of violence
Nikitha Godishala
Father of Secundarabad woman found murdered in US says not right to say accused was ‘ex-boyfriend’
Anupam Mittal shares how Shark Tank India works.
Shark Tank India 5 pitcher grilled by Anupam Mittal for calling himself a doctor while studying aromatherapy: 'Kya kaand karne aaye ho?' 
Jana Nayagan Movie
Jana Nayagan worldwide advance booking: Vijay’s film mints Rs 35 crore in pre-sales
During the march, Aloka was struck by a car and later fell seriously ill
From Indian streets and across continents: The incredible journey of Aloka, the ‘peace dog’, currently on a 2,300-mile walk
Post-COVID, Ankur Warikoo and his family also embraced organic living
‘2 meals a day, lifting weights’: Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo shares 5 lifestyle changes that transformed his health
Joe Root England Ashes
Why Joe Root’s troubles against Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Jasprit Bumrah prevent him from becoming an all-time Test great
Ruben Amorim manchester united sacking
The Ruben Amorim meltdown and a Back 3 stubbornness that led to the latest exit at Manchester United
We hope that the Modi government can undertake it and realise its unfulfilled dream of not just doubling farmers’ incomes but augmenting it manifold.
A lesson from Beed in raising farmers’ incomes
Trump Greenland Denmark
After Venezuela, is Greenland next? Inside Trump’s alleged ‘3-phase plan’ to take the Arctic
Here are the biggest celebrity health confessions of 2025
Top 5 most talked about celebrity health confessions of 2025
Samsung introduced its massive 130 inch ultra-slim Micro RGB TV at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, ahead of the CES 2026 event that kicks off on Jan 6. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Samsung unveils jumbo-sized TVs with richer colours, brings AI across the smart home
Advertisement
Must Read
Why Joe Root’s troubles against Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Jasprit Bumrah prevent him from becoming an all-time Test great
Joe Root England Ashes
The Ruben Amorim meltdown and a Back 3 stubbornness that led to the latest exit at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim manchester united sacking
As WPL arrives, six-hitting expected to see an uptick
WPL six hitting
Samsung unveils jumbo-sized TVs with richer colours, brings AI across the smart home
Samsung introduced its massive 130 inch ultra-slim Micro RGB TV at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, ahead of the CES 2026 event that kicks off on Jan 6. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
LG brings back wallpaper TV with a brighter, sharper W6 OLED
The W6 will be offered in 77-inch and 83-inch sizes and continues LG’s push toward wireless living-room setups. (Image: LG)
‘Do more with less’: Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei outlines strategy to compete with OpenAI
Daniela Amodei
Top 5 most talked about celebrity health confessions of 2025
Here are the biggest celebrity health confessions of 2025
Advertisement
Buzzing Now
From Indian streets and across continents: The incredible journey of Aloka, the ‘peace dog’, currently on a 2,300-mile walk
During the march, Aloka was struck by a car and later fell seriously ill
‘2 meals a day, lifting weights’: Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo shares 5 lifestyle changes that transformed his health
Post-COVID, Ankur Warikoo and his family also embraced organic living
Kerala man working as driver in Dubai wins Rs 24 lakh lottery after trying his luck for 2 years
Despite the win, he has no plans to stop trying his luck and said he will continue participating in future Big Ticket draws
Indian man beaten with slippers by transgender women in Pattaya after dispute over 'unpaid service', video goes viral
The transgender woman accused him of refusing payment
10-hour factory shifts to US tech firm: How Indian man rewrote his future in just 18 months after dropping out of college
His first internship was difficult, but it pushed him to improve
Jan 05: Latest News
Advertisement