Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The 19-year-old fast-bowler from Satna district of Madhya Pradesh has taken the next step to fulfill his late motherís dream of making him a cricketer for team India, after fighting enough battles in his life.
Born in the fall of 2000 to a farmer Narayan Tiwari in a village 22 km away from the district headquarters, Bakiya, Pradyumn Tiwari, is eyeing on being picked at the IPL auction to be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
Crossing the fences of poverty and hopelessness, Pradyumn made his way to Ranaji, under-19, India corporate and many such tournaments holding on to the target his mother gave him before passing away.
Believing in what Swami Vivekananda once said, ëArise, awake and stop not till the goal is reachedí, he overcame the tragedy of the death of his eternal support, his grandfather Dayanand Tiwari.
Hailing from a family of lower-income group, Pradyumn completed his education till 12th from Surendrapal Gramodaya Gurukul near Chitrakoot.
His mother wanted him to become a cricketer when she saw his excellent skills as he played with his friends in his village, he told Free Press.
ìShe could not live long enough to see her dream getting fulfilled. My grandfather was my eternal support after my mother passed away. He sent me to Bhopal Cricket Academy to learn the intricate details of the game. But he too left us in 2018. I was broken into pieces and had no intentions to continue with cricket,î said Pradyumn.
But my uncle Hariom Tiwari, who is a constable, came forward and motivated me. He saw the spark in me that I was losing. He decided to bear the expenses of my training. I played for my state a lot many times. But then I realized I had no future here. So, I moved on, he added.
Studying in class 9, he was selected for Under-16 Lucknow and played for them for two years. He learnt the nuances of the game with coach Sanjay Bhardwaj at LB Shastri Cricket Ground, from where he was selected for Delhi Under-19. His performance for Delhi earned him a place in India Under-19 and he was a member of the winning team of the Asia Cup for India Under 19.
Pradyumn has been playing for Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) since then.
He was selected for IPL in 2016 too, but he did not have kits like those of the other Delhi players, he claims. It was then that the manager of Puma, Rakesh Yadav, decided to gift him a kit and rekindled his spark.
In a recent IPL season, he had taken 13 wickets playing five matches. Nine matches were cancelled due to covid-19, which blocked his progress.
He caught the attention of the selectors for IPL 2022 auction after sending 224 batters to the pavilion in 170 matches.
Despite being a bowler, Pradyumn has hit a ton against his home state MP's Jivaji Club in Under-19 State Championship in 2018. He had scored 111 runs with 17 fours and 2 sixes playing 60 deliveries.
Player: Pradyumn Tiwari (DDCA)
Base price: 20 Lakh
Rank: 334/590
