Monday brought double delight for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Not only did the Uttar Pradesh fast bowler find himself among India’s 30-probables list for the ICC Champions Trophy but also bagged a berth in the Indian team, along with fellow UP pacer Sudip Tyagi, for the upcoming Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.

And Bhuvneshwar attributes all the recognition to Sachin Tendulkar — the 18-year old from Meerut registered a place in the history books when he handed Tendulkar his first duck in domestic cricket during the Ranji final, and eventually ended up picking five wickets in the first innings.

“Be it getting selected for the Champions Trophy probables or in the 16- member Indian team for the Emerging Players Tournament, I owe everything to Sachin sir’s wicket. Us pal ne meri zindegi badal di (that moment changed my life). Getting in the Champions Trophy probables list is in itself like a dream-come- true for me and if I am fortunate enough to make the final team for the tournament, I will go all out for my country,” Bhuvneshwar told The Indian Express.

Having returned just a week ago from Brisbane after being selected for the Border-Gavaskar scholarship programme, Kumar is brimming with confidence. “The exposure and training in Australia has helped my bowling further. I am a lot more mature and the stint has also helped in improving my swing,” he said.

Bhuvneshwar’s father Kiran Pal Singh, a sub-inspector with the UP Police, and mother Indresh were inundated with calls from well-wishers as the entire locality celebrated the news.

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