Overnight, Himanshu Sangwan has become a household name. The Railways pacer sent Virat Kohli’s off stump for a ride in the Ranji Trophy match against Delhi. There was much euphoria in and around Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi as Kohli stepped onto the ground in Delhi whites to play in India’s premier domestic tournament after more than 12 years.
The streets were packed, and the stands were almost full — a sight which has been a rarity in domestic tournaments — with fans expecting a big knock from the maestro. However, Sangwan had other plans as he ended Kohli’s brief stay at the crease after 15 deliveries. Soon after the dismissal, the stands emptied as those who had come to watch Kohli bat left immediately.
Sangwan, with that delivery and his passionate celebration, became an overnight sensation, with his name trending on social media and every news outlet publishing headlines about him.
“People can call me an overnight sensation, but it has taken me more than a decade to get here,” Sangwan told RevSportz in an exclusive interview. “When the day finished, I had more than 300 missed calls on my phone. There were so many messages that I haven’t even finished reading all of them. The phone was buzzing non-stop to the extent that I had to leave it in one corner of my room as I wanted to focus on the match. But it is an unforgettable moment for me, a story which I can share with my family and friends for the rest of my life. But this is just the beginning. God willing, if everything goes well, I have the firm belief that there will be better opportunities to prove myself and show my talent,” the Railways pacer added.
So how did Kohli react to his dismissal after the end of the day or match? “He was very humble. He signed the ball after the match and even asked if it was the same ball and then praised the delivery saying, ‘badhiya ball thi’. He was kind enough to click a few photographs and wish me the best for my future. Even Ajay Ratra sir (North Zone selector in the national selection committee) lauded me for the delivery and my performance and said ‘lage raho’ (keep going),” Sangwan said. “Selectors have their eyes on me. I was on the Duleep Trophy standby a couple of seasons ago, so I just need to keep doing better every match.”
And how has Kohli’s dismissal affected his social media profile? “Oh, there is so much love! My Instagram account was filled with so many comments. Yes, there were a few who were unhappy with the dismissal, and my celebration, and had vented out whatever they wanted to say, but I look at the positives, and what I can see is love and praise,” he said.
Sangwan did pick up three more wickets in the innings, including openers Sanat Sangwan, Sumit Mathur and Money Grewal, but the talk of the town remained Kohli’s wicket. The 29-year-old started his cricketing journey playing school nationals in Delhi, followed by under-19 cricket for Delhi. Interestingly, he made his under-19 debut alongside Rishabh Pant. However, he didn’t get opportunities to play senior-level cricket for Delhi and had to move to Haryana to start afresh, playing district cricket for Bhiwani and Jhajjar. He didn’t find a progression route in Haryana either, but while playing university cricket, he found success as he ended up being the best bowler of the tournament.
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“I don’t know why I couldn’t play for Delhi. I was too young to understand things. I don’t know whether there was any politics or things like that. I just used to go to trials after trials, and people kept rejecting me. Then someone suggested I try my luck in Haryana. That university national cricket tournament became a blessing for me. By showing the certificate of the best bowler in the tournament, I got a job in Railways and an opportunity to start my career. I started with under-23 for Railways, where I picked up 38 wickets in seven matches — the fourth-best in India. Then I got a chance to play first-class cricket, and here I am now,” he said. “I had gone to MRF Pace Academy in 2018-19 and worked with Glenn McGrath briefly. He analysed my bowling action and even praised me for having a very correct action, wrist position, and all. It was a good learning experience.”
Now a senior ticket collector for Northern Railways, posted at New Delhi Railway Station, Sangwan says Railways has given him complete freedom to focus on cricket, with no work pressure, at least for now. “People know Railways from the MS Dhoni movie. They think we have to run around and do our day job properly, like shown in the movie. But it’s completely different in real life now. We had a sports officer in Railways, Vinamra Mishra ji. I went to meet him during the Covid-19 pandemic when I was called for work. I went to meet him in my full official attire, and believe me, he scolded me so badly and told me, ‘You are born to play cricket, don’t come again dressed up like this.’ He backed me throughout,” he said. “I hardly have to go to work for a couple of months in a year, and even then, we get half days. The set-up is that good for players.”
Now that he is a popular face among cricket fans, is there a thought that people might recognise him when he’s out there at the railway station doing his job? “Ye bhi experience kar ke dekh lenge, dikkat toh nahi honi chahiye (I will experience that as well if it happens. I don’t think there would be any major issues.)”
So what’s his cricketing dream? “Everyone wants to play IPL in today’s day and age, but my dream is to play Test cricket for India. I want to focus on my strengths, and my strength is red ball,” he said before adding, “It is actually great that all the senior players are playing Ranji Trophy again. You saw the kind of attention our match got, the number of people who came to watch. It was unbelievable. Even we were feeling special. We were getting international cricket experience in Ranji Trophy. We were watching Virat bhai closely. If Delhi were to start practicing from 8:30 am, Virat bhai was out there on the field at 8 am sharp, if not earlier. That’s what makes him a great player. His attitude during the match, or when he was training. For us, there were plenty of takeaways just by observing him go about his business. It was magnificent. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but hopefully, we will get more opportunities to play with such high-profile players.”
So how did Sangwan celebrate? “I have been staying here in Najafgarh for the last 14-15 years with a family. I rented this room when I came here, but now the owners are my family as well. I always tell my friends that I have two mothers and two fathers. This is my home. Sudesh aunty and Kuldeep uncle have taken complete care of me. I came here after the match, and it was so good to have some home-cooked meal after a while and to get all the love from family. We celebrated quietly together,” Himanshu said.
While players’ hard work gets highlighted on such occasions, the struggle of the family members sometimes go under the radar. “I cannot express the feeling. Himanshu came in when he was 14. He is my elder son. My daughter is 14 now and plays badminton, and they are inspired by him and his discipline. When you are 14, you don’t really understand what is right and wrong, and that is what we had to take care of. He also listened to what we told him. Whenever he is down, it’s our responsibility to take care of him. Even during the highs, I am the first one he calls. I was watching the game with Dadi ji, and after Himanshu took Kohli’s wicket, I was just screaming and crying in joy. Fir mithai baanti aas pados mein, sab khush hai (We distributed sweets in our neighbourhood, everyone is happy),” Sudesh, Himanshu’s landlady in Najafgarh, said.
So what’s next for him? The season is over for Railways, and there’s a long gap before the next domestic season begins. “The season has ended for others; for me, it is starting now. I will rest for a couple of days and then get back to training and playing club or whatever cricket I can play. If I have to play for India, then the hard work can’t take a backseat. There’s a long way to go,” Sangwan said.
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