In 2005, Nagesh Kuknoor successfully struck a chord with movie-goers with Iqbal, a flick where Shreyas Talpade essayed the title role of a mute boy who makes it to India’s national cricket team.

Iqbal Abdulla, a dusky teenager from Azamgarh district has, however, turned out to be the real-life Iqbal by playing an integral role in the Indian colts’ triumph at the under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.

Abdulla has given all Azamgarhias a reason to rejoice. The district, which had so far been infamous for being home to mobsters such as Abu Salem, can now boast of being home to an overnight cricket celebrity. The left-arm spinner does not represent his home state UP, but made Ranji debut for Mumbai in 2007. He earned 10 scalps for the Indian team in Malaysia.

Iqbal’s father Maulvi Niyaz Ahmad was not at the ground to view the historic win, but was watching the match at the home of a neighbour who had subscribed to the pay channel that was showing the game live.

Most Indian cricket fans focused on the seniors in Sydney, but the thoughts of this family in the Terhia Masjid locality of Azamgarh had been in the Malaysian capital for the last few days.

“I have not seen Kuknoor’s Iqbal, but from what I have been told by Iqbal’s coach Naushad Khan about the story, I believe my son is the real Iqbal,” said Niyaz Ahmad, father to four sons and an equal number of daughters. He runs a grocery store.

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