Pragyan Ojha
Teams: Hyderabad and Deccan Chargers
For a young boy who always wanted to be a cricketer, Hyderabad’s Bhavans School — where he had come from Orissa to study — gave Pragyan Ojha just the fillip he needed. “I also played cricket in Orissa, but in Hyderabad, when I started doing well for my school, I took to the game seriously,” says Ojha, the son of a plant manager in one of the factories of Orissa State Cooperative Producers Federation.
The 21-year old credits his success to his parents. “Though I come from a middle-class family, they always supported me. That helped me pursue my game freely.”
His consistent performances in local tournaments got him a place in the Hyderabad junior team. Ojha’s under-19 coach for Hyderabad, Yuvraj Singh, remembers Pragyan as a hungry, hard-working player who always gave his 100 per cent. “He was with me for two years and the passion for the game was always visible in his eyes. He has been taking bagful of wickets since the junior circuit. If you include all forms of the game, you’ll find that he’s been taking at least 50 wickets each season for the last five years. He’s not afraid to take his chances, and he’s always prepared to flight the ball,” said Singh, who is now one of the selectors for Hyderabad.
The figures speak volumes about the left-arm spinner’s consistency: 121 wickets from 30 first-class matches, 39 from 30 List A games. But it took 11 wickets from 13 IPL matches for the Deccan Chargers, at an economy rate of 7.67, to finally realise his dream of winning an India cap.
“It’s a dream to play for India. The selectors have shown faith in me, now it’s my turn to deliver,” says Ojha.
— Swarup Kar Purkayastha

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