NEW DELHI: Raj Angad Bawa was simply one other happy-go-lucky child, who effortlessly bought good grades at school and liked to groove to the beats of Bhangra until he was 13 years previous.
With the hill-station of Dharamsala internet hosting a global cricket match again within the day, DAV Chandigarh’s cricket coach Sukhwinder Singh Bawa determined to take his teenager son to look at the sport.
One thing modified in little Raj and as a father, for Sukhwinder it did not go unnoticed that son’s focus shifted with nimble “footsteps” making approach for deft “footwork”. And the outcome was an all-rounder efficiency on the international stage albeit on the junior stage.

“He began taking part in (cricket) when he was 11 or 12 years previous earlier than that he wasn’t focused on it. He appreciated to pay attention and dance to Punjabi songs on the tv,” father Sukhwinder recollected as if it was simply yesterday.

“He went on tour with me to Dharamshala and noticed a number of intense matches being performed out. After that, he began sitting with me in workforce conferences and his curiosity in cricket arose from there. After that, he began taking part in significantly,” sense of satisfaction was palpable in Sukhwinder’s voice as he spoke to PTI from his Chandigarh residence the place a posse of reporters and camera-persons had already planted themselves.

Picture credit score: ICC
The son was ripping the guts out of ‘Younger Lions’ top-order and the daddy was having fun with all the eye coming his approach.

These 5 wickets that Raj bought within the last wasn’t his alone but additionally belonged to Sukhwinder, who was dwelling his dream via his son.
Sukhwinder wasn’t even born when his father Tarlochan Singh Bawa had performed alongside Balbir Singh Senior, Leslie Claudius and Keshav Dutts to win unbiased India’s maiden Olympic hockey gold in London through the 1948 Video games.

Sport ran within the household however the coach in Sukhwinder was elated when Raj determined to present cricket extra priority over household.
“He was a topper in his college. Even at school ninth, he got here second at school,” Sukhwinder added when requested if Raj was inclined in direction of research.

After which he began accompanying his father to the Academy the place he had helped in honing expertise of tons of of gamers however one went on to turn out to be an illustrious identify in worldwide cricket — Yuvraj Singh.
As a toddler, Raj would see his favorite Yuvi Paaji practice day in and time out along with his father and shortly watching turned to imitation as Raj had a brand new function mannequin.
“My father skilled Yuvraj Singh. I used to look at him once I was a child. I used to mimic Yuvraj Singh whereas batting. I watched his batting movies. He is my function mannequin,” Raj, who wears the quantity 12 jersey, the identical as Yuvraj, mentioned.

Such was Yuvraj’s affect on the kid Raj {that a} pure right-hander, could not think about not batting left-handed simply because his hero was a southpaw.
“When he was a child, Raj stored on watching Yuvraj, who may come for his nets on the academy and for youths, the primary hero makes a long-lasting impression,” the daddy mentioned. “So, when Raj picked that bat he picked from the left however the whole lot else — bowling, throwing, and so forth he would do from the appropriate hand.
“I attempted to appropriate him however once I would flip round, he once more held the bat with a left-handed stance. So, then I let or not it’s.”

Whereas he began batting and made it to the Punjab U-16 workforce, it was solely after making it to the sub-junior state workforce that the daddy determined that Raj had the makings of a superb tempo bowler.
“He was extra inclined in direction of bowling (to start with) as a result of I additionally was a fast-bowling all-rounder. However I wished to stability it. So, I finished his bowling when he began.
“I focussed extra on his batting, ready him as a correct batter. I wished him to do properly in crunch conditions. I did not need him to be a bowler who can bat. I wished him to be like Yuvraj in batting and like Kapil Dev in bowling.”

“I wished him to be a whole all-rounder, 50-50. For that, it was essential to make him bat. When he made Punjab’s U-16 workforce, I gave him the ball. I had seen him bowl as a toddler and I used to be assured that he can bowl higher than anyone else,” Sukhwinder mentioned.

“I like each batting and bowling,” the shy Raj mentioned on the post-match presentation ceremony whereas receiving his medallion.
Effectively, Raj Angad Bawa’s journey has simply begun however prospects appear to be huge and the highway forward thrilling.