Although not many people in Mumbai's local cricket circuit have heard of his name, the youngster has sure made another dream IPL story.
A media advisory on Gujarat Lions' (GL) replacements on Wednesday evening by the Indian Premier League (IPL) sent out the media in a bit of tizzy.
It wasn't the news of India all-rounder Irfan Pathan getting another lifeline while replacing an injured Dwayne Bravo, but the selection of a certain leg-spinning all-rounder Ankit Soni from Mumbai replacing chinaman Shivil Kaushik that created a sort of buzz. At least in the Mumbai cricket circuit.
The Mumbai cricketing fraternity wasn't really celebrating the inclusion of this youngster. Why? No one's sure who this boy from Mumbai, who has made another dream IPL story, really is.
There is not much known about the boy who has not even played first class cricket for the state. Last year, he made it to the MCA's U-23 Madhav Mantri Trophy, a selection tournament for age group cricket, but did not play.
“Yes, there was a guy with this name, but I don't think he played any match,” recalled Ranji player Aditya Dhumal, who was part of Dilip Vengsarkar XI last year. The all-rounder Dhumal struggled to recollect any memories of Soni. “I don't know much about him as we did not to see him bowl much. It's surprising that he got into an IPL team despite not playing much here. Best wishes to him,” he added.
Soni plays club cricket for Maskati Cricket Club and corporate cricket for Repro India in Mumbai since the last one and a half years. He hasn't got the kind of wickets that would bring him into the limelight immediately.
His Maskati team-mate and senior pro Sushant Waje is pleasantly surprised that he got picked for GL. “Soni is not a big player in Mumbai and he is still struggling to find a foothold here. Also, he has not performed in a way that would make heads turn, but he is a very talented leg-spinner,” said Waje.
“If one sees him bowl in the nets he will be amazed to see that he is unplayable. He is the king there and someone who can play top class cricket. He hasn't got the kind of opportunity in Mumbai so far as there was no Kanga League too due to rains. In other tournaments we were knocked out early hence he got only a few chance to impress. He is not just a good leg-spinner but a handy batsman too,” said Waje.
According to Waje, Soni comes from Rajasthan. He had been working hard and would go to IPL selection trials. “I think he shifted his base to Mumbai only a few years ago for more cricket opportunities. As far as the IPL is concerned, he was always focused on getting there. He would talk a lot about selection trials too as he had filled the selection forms that would come to the MCA. He worked very hard on his fitness, working out on the endurance by the IPL standards,” said Waje.
While the tall leggie is a mystery in Mumbai irrespective he makes it to the GL XI or not, he certainly is another dream story in the IPL.
Here's a look at Ankit bowling in the nets in Mumbai:
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