Chetan Sakariya made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut on Monday, bowling for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Even as other major names in the Rajasthan Royals camp were shattered to all corners of the Wankhede, the young left-arm pacer was the best of the Rajasthan Royals bowlers, taking three wickets for 31 runs off his four overs. Virender Sehwag, a former India opener, praised the fast bowler’s “extraordinary courage” in surviving a huge personal failure to succeed at the highest level.
Sehwag talked about the travails young Chetan Sakariya had gone through only a “few months” before the launch of IPL 2021 in a tweet after the RR vs PBKS match.
Chetan Sakariya's brother died of suicide few months ago,his parents didn't tell him for 10 days as he was playing the SMA trophy. What cricket means to these young men,their families .IPL is a true measure of the Indian dream & some stories of extraordinary grit🙏🏼Great prospect pic.twitter.com/r0mISy9Asv
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 12, 2021
“Chetan Sakariya’s brother committed suicide a few months back, and his parents held him in the dark for ten days while he was competing in the SMA trophy. How important cricket is to these young men and their families. The IPL is a direct reflection of the Indian dream, with some incredible tales of perseverance. Excellent chance, “‘About the Wicket,’ tweeted Sehwag, with a picture of Chetan Sakariya’s mother’s quotes.
Rajasthan Royals bought Sakariya for Rs 1.2 crore in the IPL auction, a huge amount for an uncapped bowler. Royal Challengers Bangalore was a strong contender for the fast bowler’s signature, but RR prevailed after a heated bidding battle.
Sakariya immediately repaid the Rajasthan team management’s confidence in him.
In the third over, the left-armer struck the first blow against Punjab Kings, dismissing the dangerous Mayank Agarwal. He got another huge scalp in KL Rahul, who was dismissed for 91, and followed it up with the wicket of Jhye Richardson in the final over of the Punjab Kings innings.
Despite the fact that Rajasthan Royals lost the match by the tiniest of margins, Sakariya was widely praised for his outstanding performance with the ball.