From Being Bullied to Decent Leg Spinner: A Journey of Growth and Improvement

My story of transforming from a bullied cricketer to a decent leg spinner is a journey filled with challenges, perseverance, and a deep love for the game. Like many of you, I faced intense bullying during the early stages of my cricket career. As a result, I lacked the confidence and necessary skills in batting, bowling, and fielding. However, this adversity only fueled my desire to improve and contribute to our team, ultimately leading me to take on the role of a leg spinner.

Early Challenges and Improvement

After overcoming the bullying and improving my batting skills, the team decided it was time to give me a chance to bowl spin. My initial efforts were inspired by Radheshyam Ashwin and I diligently watched tutorials to learn how to bowl off spin. The results were encouraging, and my bowling became a relief to my teammates. We even introduced a 'three times body rule' as a means to avoid getting hit by the spinners. This phase of my career was marked by significant success, but it also presented new challenges.

My success was brief; soon, I realized that while I could spin the ball, I struggled to control it. The variations were elusive, and I often ended up throwing the ball, which brought criticism, much to my dismay. I was even compared to Pragyan Ojha, a failed off-spinner, and the pressure was overwhelming. However, the turning point came after my Class 6th final exams, as I felt a renewed sense of determination and confidence.

Expanding My Skill Set

I decided to take part in a local cricket tournament to earn some money for a party. To achieve this, I focused on mastering leg spin and its variations, including the leg spin, googly, flipper, and slider. It took me the entire 7th class to learn and perfect these variations, with the flipper being the most challenging. To overcome the limitations of my hand, I began examining my delivery to ensure I could bowl without throwing the ball.

My journey to becoming a proper leg spinner was not without its challenges. Mastering line and length took a full year, and my skills in flight and turn were still lacking. However, my unique bowling style, characterized by extra bounce due to my height and style, compensated for my shortcomings. I even posted a video tutorial that helped me learn how to bowl leg spin effectively.

The Road to Mastery and Unpredictability

The pitch conditions in the park were highly variable, influenced by Delhi's sun and occasional waterings from the authorities. This unpredictability made batting and bowling equally challenging. Many times, the pitch was perfect for batting, rendering bowling ineffective, and vice versa.

My approach to bowling varied based on the pitch. In the gully, I relied on 16 to 18-yard pitches, while 22-yard pitches in the park offered more room for creativity. I found that bowling to an area just outside off stump provided excellent opportunities for spin, flipper, and slider, but not for the top spinner, as it required too much bounce. My bowling composition for every batsman was a mix of 30% leg spin, 30% googly, 20% flipper, 15% slider, and 5% top spin.

Seasonal Success and Adversity

The highlight of my bowling career came during the period from April to Diwali 2018, where I consistently took wickets. My economy rate was often around 4.5, and on exceptional days, it dropped to 3. However, this success was short-lived, as we faced significant challenges due to the park authorities converting the pitch into a tree fest. This forced us to adapt and start bowling bhatta (less spin) when the pitch seemed dry.

Despite the challenges, my bowling style became more deceptive, and I often mixed my deliveries, imitating Rashid Khan's bowling style. However, my imitations of Shane Warne and Rashid Khan did not lead to the expected success. Instead, my economy rate increased to 7-8, which was higher even for low-scoring games.

By the time of my Class 8th final exams, I had lost many members from the main group, which meant I had to reduce my focus on bowling and instead turn my attention to other aspects of the game, particularly swing bowling. Although I still enjoy bowling leg spin, my true passion lies in swing bowling, which I believe has a higher success rate in India.

Despite the long journey and the passage of time, this experience continues to shape who I am as a cricketer. I am grateful for the lessons learned and the support of those who have shown interest in my story.

Thank you for listening to my journey.

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