For four years, Anureet Singh bowled at Delhi’s pre-Ranji camp, but wasn’t named in their team. But in only his second year with the Railways, he has already made his place in the Ranji side. Anureet made a dream debut for Railways as he took six for 49 against Karnataka in Bangalore last week.

He admitted to being a bit apprehensive. “I was a bit nervous as I was bowling the second over of the match. But once that was completed, I was ok,” Anureet says.

Tired of being repeatedly shunned by Delhi, Anureettried his luck with the Railways. Singh was picked up for the Railways Under-22 side that was being coached by Abhay Sharma at the time.

“He did well for the U-22 side and when I was made the coach of the senior team. I pitched in for his selection,” Sharma said.

Sharma had to fight for Singh’s inclusion in the Ranji squad, as selectors weren’t keen. “Initially, the selectors weren’t keen on his inclusion, but thankfully they heeded to my request¿ he was brilliant in his first match,” Sharma adds.

Before all this, Sharma saw to it that Anureet was on Railways’ pay rolls and played the zonal-railways tournament to impress the Railways Sports Promotion Board. Once it was done, Anureet’s passage to the senior squad was a cakewalk.

“Anureet was played ahead of Santosh Saxena, who has been a regular in the team for the last seven-eight years. He repaid my faith in him,” Sharma says of his protégé.

... contd.