India pacer reveals he kept Cricket a secret as 'Father didn't like it', excited to play for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025

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Although cricket has grown in stature in India in the ongoing century, the middle-class parents of India still want their children to focus on academics.

It gets smoother if an aspiring cricketer breaks through or gets a platform, but before that, the uncertain journey often makes the family and parents dither on investing in their kids for a potential future in cricket. And many players who have made it to the very top, reveal it was the same for them during the early years.

Punjab Kings' new recruitment ahead of IPL 2025, Kuldeep Sen, has revealed that he started playing cricket in secrecy.

Sen started playing the sport at the young age of 15. His commitment and grit helped him make his ODI debut for India in 2022. However, during the initial training days, only his mother knew about him playing as Kuldeep's father never liked cricket.

"No one in my family knew much about cricket. Since I come from a very middle-class family, they did not know much about playing cricket, where one should train, etc. Everybody liked watching cricket, but my father didn't like it at all. He started watching cricket only after I started playing; otherwise, he wouldn't be a fan. When I started playing cricket, no one in my family knew about it except my mother," Sen said while speaking to Punjab Kings.

Sen has also represented India in the ODIs as the Madhya Pradesh bowler played a solitary match against Bangladesh in 2022. And recalling that, Sen says he couldn't sleep before his ODI debut.

"I was in NCA when my call for India came. I didn't know that I was going to be selected. I couldn't sleep the night before my match against Bangladesh was scheduled...I was also very excited to play the match. Playing for the country is still the best thing that has happened to me, and I will never forget it," he added.

Sen picked up 2 wickets in that match but has never played for India since. He was part of the Rajasthan Royals, before being acquired by Punjab in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The 28-year-old also represented Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket but switched his allegiance to Madhya Pradesh this season. Sen also revealed he wanted to be picked up by PBKS as he gave a trial with the franchise back in 2018.

"I gave my first IPL trial for Punjab Kings only in 2018. So, it was an inside feeling that this year, I would be selected by Punjab. I was excited that I am going to a great team and will have a new experience with the new team," Kuldeep continued.

The pacer is one of Punjab's newest signings who has arrived from Rajasthan Royals. Apart from Kuldeep, India's spin sensation Yuzvendra Chahal will also wear the Punjab colours in IPL 2025.