New Delhi. The journey from the dusty streets of Borgaon, a small village in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, to the glitz of Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is not just about the bid of Rs 5.2 crore. This is a journey of a father's dark nights of worry. One of the first ball played in the courtyard with mother and one of the faith of a teacher. Who did not let hunger dominate his talent. Mangesh Yadav's father Ramavadh Yadav has been a truck driver by profession. For him the meaning of life was limited to the speed of wheels and the smell of diesel. Mangesh's story teaches us that if you have talent and a guru to hone it, poverty can never be a hindrance. This contract worth crores is not just the price of a player, but is a reward for the sacrifice of a father and the unwavering determination of a son.
Mangesh Yadav's father Ramavadh said, 'Is the life of a truck driver also a life? No place to eat, no time to take a bath. When the truck was full of goods, they would have to worry about unloading it safely and when it was empty, they would struggle to find work again. But amidst this fatigue, a big dream was growing. The dream of his son Mangesh. Ramavadh often used to think while holding the steering wheel in the silence of the night, where will the fees for the next month's training come from? Many times he extended his hands to his loved ones and took loan, but never stopped Mangesh's steps.
Mangesh Yadav is a left arm fast bowler.
Those unknown roads of Delhi and the company of the coach
Seeing Mangesh's speed in tennis ball cricket, his uncle advised him to send him to Delhi. The father kept Rs 24,000 in his hand after adding it to his hard-earned money and sent his son to coach Phoolchand Sharma. In an expensive city like Delhi, that money was exhausted within a month. Mangesh had neither a place to stay nor enough food to eat. When coach Phoolchand Sharma saw the bowling of this boy, he saw the shine of a diamond. He told Mangesh, 'You come to the hostel. Stay here, eat and just play.' That one decision of the coach gave a new direction to Mangesh's career. Today Mangesh says with great pride, 'If I am playing cricket today, it is only because of Phoolchand sir.'
'Go back home'
In the path of every success, there comes a turn where the person starts going astray. This happened with Mangesh also. The glamor of Delhi and the constant struggle made him a little careless. When there was a lack of discipline, the coach took a tough stance. He clearly said, 'Pack your bags and bed and return home.' That day Mangesh realized that his father's entire life was at stake. He apologized and never looked back. He sweated from Delhi's DDCA League to UP Under-19 camp. Ramavadh said, 'Many times it would happen that he would go for the selection camp and there he would be told that his name had been called by mistake. In those days, I felt that I had made a big mistake by showing this dream to my son.
Fortunes changed due to MP T20 League and DK Test
Mangesh's hard work bore fruit in the 'Madhya Pradesh T20 League', where he created a stir by taking 14 wickets in just 6 matches. His average of 12.00 caught the attention of the selectors. Soon he was called for the trials of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). During the trial, veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik took the test of Mangesh. Karthik made him bowl with the new ball, 5th, 10th and even 18th and 20th overs (death overs). Mangesh proved himself in every situation. Seeing his mental strength, RCB management was impressed and made a huge bid of Rs 5.2 crore for him in the auction.
Father's pride and society's response
Till yesterday, the society which used to call Ramavadh Yadav a 'fool' for being a truck driver and sending his son to the ruin of cricket, today the same society is standing to welcome him. The biggest victory for Mangesh is not the money, but the sparkle in his father's eyes. Mangesh says emotionally, 'My father can now walk with pride. Relatives and society thought that I would be ruined, but today Papa has his head held high. The father says, 'I never thought that a truck driver could get so much respect.'
