IPL 2017: This Bengal boy quit engineering, cleaned railway compartments and now has KKR contract

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Kolkata, Feb 21: He was a first class engineering student and recorded noticeable score in the joint entrance examination. His family members had consistently insisted him to build up a career engineering. But Sayan Ghosh had different ideas.

Ghosh dreamt of becoming a genuine fast bowler and represent senior Indian cricket team.

He lives in a district town named Chakdaha in Nadia district, around 65 kilometers from Kolkata. The left-arm medium pacer has been sold at his base price (Rs 10 lakh) to Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction of IPL 2017 on Monday (Feb 20).

After being recruited by KKR, Sayan said with great relief, “I had to leave cricket in spite of the fact I was improving at a local cricket academy in Chakdaha. My family members were pressurising me to continue studies and become an engineer. But I was also adamant. I continued playing cricket along with studies and finally left engineering midway."

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Sayan has already represented under-19 and under-23 Bengal side. After an impressive show, Sayan stepped into the senior Bengal squad.

According to 24-year-old pacer, the key behind his selection in the KKR, for the forthcoming IPL, was his excellent performance in the recently concluded Syed Mustaq Ali Twenty20 tournament.

He captured 14 wickets in his team's eight matches in the tournament. More significantly, the right-arm pacer is called 'Lasith Malinga of Bengal' because his stinging bowling action has similarity with Sri Lankan fast bowler. Interestingly, his key weapon is also yorker.

He added, “Several coaches had suggested me to change my bowling action. But at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) it was Bharat Arun, the experienced bowling coach, who asked me not to change my natural bowling action. I got the confidence and never tried to change bowling action."

Ghosh also got a job at the Indian Railways after having represented senior Bengal. But that was a Group D post.

He revealed, “I had to clean compartments at Kharagpur Railway station, which was not possible for me at one point of time and I left the job. My aim was to be a full-time professional cricketer."

OneIndia News