Connected by a bumpy, winding road to the national highway between Vadodara and Mumbai, Ikhar qualifies as a sleepy village of about 9,000 inhabitants. But there is an unusual buzz after Friday prayers this week in this Muslim-dominated rural area. Grand plans are being made for a mass exodus to watch the India-Australia one-dayer in Vadodara, and the talk in every corner is about who will win the opening match of the series.

But this isn’t a story of cricket’s deep inroads in Little India. It is about Ikhar’s first big opportunity to watch its most famous son playing in national colours. Munaf Patel’s rags to riches story in 2006 put this nondescript village on the international cricket map but the majority of Ikhar’s faithfuls never got a chance to watch the local hero run in to bowl for India. Despite playing 41 ODIs and 12 Tests, Munaf has never played at Vadodara, the city closest to his home. Ikhar will get its chance this weekend, and the residents can’t wait for Sunday.

The man who first spotted Munaf — his friend, philosopher and guide Ismail Matadhar — explains the mood. “At least a 100 of us will be there for the game. People have invested a lot in him, and Munaf, too, is very excited to bowl in front of friends he has grown up with,” Matadhar says.

For Ikhar, Munaf is more than just a quick bowler. He is a boy who didn’t let geographical isolation and financial limitation hamper his progress. Virtually every other house in the village has a relative abroad, but it’s Munaf’s globe-trotting exploits that have truly helped them dream big. Outside a sprawling seven-room multi-storeyed house that is being renovated, we meet Munaf’s childhood friend, referred to as Sirajbhai. “Munaf is sending his parents for Haj. They’re visiting relatives so I’m here looking after the construction work,” he says.

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