Abhishek Kumar Dalhor Exclusive| 'Ab Hum Bhi Bade Sapne Dekh Sakte Hain': Majhi Mumbai Star on ISPL Experience, India Dreams, Love for Chop-Muri and More

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The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) has made a radical change in the lives of many Tennis Ball cricketers in the country. The inaugural season was a blockbuster one and we have witnessed stars of Tennis Ball emerging from the tournament.

One of them has been Abhishek Kumar Dalhor, who set the buzz in the auction. Dalhor garnered a massive price of Rs. 27 lakh in the ISPL auction and was the most expensive player in the competition.

After an excellent outing for Majhi Mumbai in the inaugural ISPL season, Dalhor is currently taking part for a different team in a different competition.

MyKhel had a chance to meet Dalhor for an exclusive interview. He is currently playing in India Cup 2.0 in Howrah and had an interaction, where he opened up on his ISPL journey, learnings from Sachin Tendulkar, Love for Chop-Muri (a Bengali Food combination) and More.

On his Journey as a Cricketer

Abhishek Kumar Dalhor is popularly known as 'Karan Ambala' as he hails from Ambala. The player opened up on his journey as a player and depicted how things started for him.

"I hail from Ambala. I am popular in Tennis cricket in the name of Karan Ambala, and my journey started like anyone else. I used to play as a kid and was a massive fitness freak. I also played Baseball, Badminton and had played Leather Cricket as well. My Tennis cricket actually started with Kolkata, and I achieved many things around the country. And then ISPL came and changed it completely."

ISPL Price Reaction

Abhishek Kumar Dalhor's Rs 27 lakh price tag was a mammoth amount in Tennis Ball Cricket. The player says his family couldn't believe it after he fetched that mammoth sum.

"The reaction was amazing. The amount is massive for any of us middle-class families. This amount takes a lot of time for us to earn, so this was great. The family couldn't believe it. I won't say I had no pressure, and the ISPL pressure was different. There were many celebrities and the whole country was watching you, hence there was pressure to perform. But along with that, I was excited as well."

'I like to Motivate Myself'

Karan's start to the ISPL was not the brightest. In the very first match, he was given the Tape Ball and the bowler struggled to maintain the line and bowled several consecutive wides. Majhi Mumbai won the match but Dalhor managed to self-motivate himself by this simple method.

"The tape ball over was disappointing. But after that, I kept myself away from social media as it distracts you a lot. I knew I would get bashed on social media for the price tag and all, so I kept myself away from the phone. I like to motivate myself, I did the same and practised the same way. I kept myself calm and kept my belief. I try to maintain myself in a neutral space, which helps me both in life and cricket."

On the experiences of ISPL

"I felt like I was playing IPL. The crowd and the feeling at the stadium was giving me goosebumps. It was an emotional moment for all. It was a huge platform for any Tennis Ball player and we all enjoyed it."

Representing Majhi Mumbai, Abhishek showcased his class as well. The 25-year-old became the Player of the Tournament as he scored 198 runs with the bat and picked up 9 wickets as well. Although Majhi Mumbai failed to win the ISPL title, Dalhor definitely did justice to his lofty price tag.

The Star Connections - Bachchans and Sachin Tendulkar

The youngster was part of the Majhi Mumbai team, which is owned by the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan and co-owned by Neeti Agarwal of PATH India Ltd. The player had his first glimpse of Bollywood in the ISPL from such close proximities, and he is amazed.

When asked about the owners, Dalhor could only speak highly about the Bachchans. He hailed the way Abhishek Bachchan took care of the players, involved himself with the team and motivated Dalhor personally after his disappointment in the first match.

"Our team won the first match against Srinagar but I didn't perform well. But on that day, Abhishek Ji came to me and personally motivated me. The involvement was excellent and they made us feel so welcomed. The love that we got from them was a massive thing."

Speaking about Sachin Tendulkar, the Tennis Ball Superstar says he didn't have any personal interaction with 'The God of Cricket', but he has already had a lifetime experience by standing in front of the legend.

"Sachin Tendulkar Sir also shared a video of how to use the Tape Ball. He is a legend, standing in front of him is an achievement for me and the way he motivated the whole team was a lifetime experience."

Message to the Next Generation and ISPL Effects

Dalhor, despite being at a tender age, has a strong message for the next generation.

"My message to all the youngsters would be to play Tennis Cricket. Try to do a fielding session every day and give attention to fitness. Krishna Satpute (a Tennis Cricket Legend) is a lot older than me but his flexibility is better than mine, and the biggest message that I want to send to the next generation would be to learn from our lifestyle. None of us are involved in any wrongdoings or addictions and all we focus is on cricket. So please work hard, make your parents proud and success will surely arrive."

"I have got huge recognition after ISPL. People watched me on TV and appreciated me. The Street to Stadium Tagline has worked properly for me and it is a very proud moment for me and my family."

Love for Bengal and Chop-Muri

Although Dalhor is from Haryana, West Bengal is closely attached to him. The 25-year-old was slotted in the ISPL as an East Zone player, and Dalhor revealed the reason for it. He said that Kharagpur (a place in West Midnapore District) is somewhere he has played regularly in his career. Also, the player has played across Kolkata and also on the outskirts of the city (Howrah, Bolpur etc).

We asked about Dalhor's likening to Bengali cuisine, and he says he loves many delicacies Dalhor is a Pure Vegetarian and Bengali Sweets and Chop-Muri are his favourites.

"I love Rosogolla, Mishti Doi. Gurer Mishti is also one of my favourites. And I also love to eat Chop Muri (Puffed Rice with Fried Snack made of Potato)."

The India Dream

When asked about his ambitions of playing for the Indian team and the Ranji Trophy, Abhishek is quick to acknowledge the dream.

"Of course. If I get an opportunity, I would love to represent any IPL team or the Indian team. Also, my dream is to play Ranji Trophy for Haryana, and to achieve that, I am determined to push myself."

Dalhor has connections with a lot of Indian players who are based in Haryana. He took part in the trials of Haryana U-25 and met the likes of Mohit Sharma, Harshal Patel at the camp. The player also revealed that he has received motivational words from the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar

"Everyone has told me one thing. That is I have potential and I can go far," Dalhor said.

'Ab Hum bhi Bade Sapne dekh Sakte Hai'

The platform that ISPL has brought has opened up a new channel for cricket in this country. The popularity in the first season has shown how this tournament can evolve in the coming years.

Dalhor not only just concurs that, but believes the financial stability it has provided can be a strong impetus for players to join Tennis Ball cricket.

"The ISPL can only grow bigger. People will participate and if it continues like this, Tennis Cricket can move parallelly with Leather Cricket. Everyone can't play for India, but ISPL has shown that Tennis Cricket players can have financial stability, can make their families happy and live a better life. So, I believe there is a wide scope."

"Ab Hum Bhi Bade Sapne Dekh Sakte Hain (Now We can also dream big)," Dalhor concluded.