Prashant ready for the step-up

Five Man of the Match adjudications in six outings makes your Man of the Series award a mere formality.

Five Man of the Match adjudications in six outings makes your Man of the Series award a mere formality. With Prashant Bhandari, a similar moment came two years ago when he brought home the Player of the Tournament prize playing for North Zone in the Under-13 category.

2006 was a flop of sorts but this year, Bhandari is looking all set break into the U-15 squad after amassing 629 runs and 12 wickets from six matches in the inaugural School Cricket League, recognised by the Delhi and District Cricket Association DDCA.

Bhandari averaged 200-plus with four unbeaten knocks and as many centuries. But among them, his unbeaten 175 against DLDAV tested his character.

8220;We8217;re Hansraj School six down for 91 odd. I really had to apply my mind for each run. I finally remained unbeaten on 175 and we won the match,8221; says Prashant.

Coach Jai Prakash joined the school hand-in-hand with Prashant and has seen the 14-year old right from the time he took his first stance. 8220;I have taught him how to take stance and since then it8217;s been a process of quick learning and quicker application. He8217;s different from others in the way he picks things up. The same thing you would need to repeat to others Prashant will pick immediately. His application is even better. He is a very quick learner,8221; says Prakash.

Talk to him about his idol, Prashant, without a second thought, will name Sachin Tendulkar, but will hit back even on the slightest comparison: 8220;I never copy his Sachin8217;s style. I have my own style of play.8221;

After stealing the show with a number of front foot shots, for a moment, he sounded a bit on the backfoot. 8220;I got out in the second delivery in the final for a duck. It8217;s disappointing not to have contributed in the final after making so many runs throughout the tournament,8221; he says.

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Father Bhim Singh Bhandari, unlike most other parents, didn8217;t find a reason to pull things back. 8220;He8217;s a 90-percenter in school and the sixth-ranked in the class. As a class IX student, he8217;s doing very well. Education becomes a problem at a certain stage with players continuing with their studies, but it8217;s important for a player as well,8221; says Bhandari senior, adding, 8220;The only thing he needs to concentrate on is his temperament. Whenever, he gets out early, he gets nervous and the frustration shows in his approach as a captain.8221;