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ICC U-19 World Cup: Meet the man behind Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s rise

Coach Surendra Rathore recalls the first time he spotted Indian quick's talent.

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Kamlesh Nagarkoti bowls during the U19 World Cup cricket final match between India and Australia at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on February 3, 2018.
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It was at the tender age of eight when Kamlesh Nagarkoti was playing a local cricket match at Jaipur Army Cantt area, coach Surendra Rathore first came across him and spotted his extraordinary talent. That very moment he made up his mind to give shape and direction to the boy’s skill and not let his talent die as a mere hobby. “It is usually the players who approach coaches, but in this case, I was the one who went forward to be his mentor. I was really impressed with his bowling action,” said the proud coach Rathore after his protégé’s outstanding performance in the under-19 World Cup that India won comprehensively.

Kamlesh’s parents took no time in making the decision of handing over the responsibility of honing his cricketing skills to Rathore when he brought into their notice the unique wealth he possessed. “His father was in the Army and at that time was posted outside Jaipur, so it was his elder brother Vinod Singh Nagarkoti who sacrificed everything for the sake of facilitating Kamlesh. As his brother too had played cricket, I asked him to join Sanskar Academy as a coach to be around his little brother,” Kamlesh’s coach said.



(Celebrations at Sanskar Academy)

Today Sanskar School is a proud institution and takes pride in recalling those days when Kamlesh won for them and for the state several matches. “Kamlesh has won several games not just for the school, but also for the state where he has represented teams at the various age-group level,” said Rathore. He added that Rahul Dravid has played a major role in inculcating in him the team spirit and motivating him apart from improving his game.

Now the pace sensation has his eyes set on making a cut into Team India. “Now his eyes are set on Team India. Even before IPL auction, he was clear in the head that whether he gets sold or remains unsold, the next thing that he will do is start preparations towards making it to the seniors’ team.” The coach feels that as now Kamlesh has been picked up by KKR, it will be a great exposure for him and help him learn to adapt to high-octane format match situations.

PAMPERED CHILD


(Kamlesh's family)

"Since the day Surendra Rathore spoke to our parents regarding encouraging Kamlesh to pursue cricket as a career, the entire family backed him. In the Army Public School, where we used to study, there was no scope for cricket, but Rathore sir got three of us siblings enrolled in Sanskar School. It was difficult for our father to afford the fee in that school, but sir provided the necessary cushion along with the school to ensure nothing hinders Kamlesh’s rise as a cricketer.

"Also, as he is the youngest and the most pampered child in the family, our parents gave him a free hand to take up the sport despite uncertainty surrounding making a successful career out of it. It feels great that today he is part of the World Cup-winning team and is being praised by who’s who of the cricketing fraternity," said Vinod Singh Nagarkoti

GOING PLACES:

The pace sensation from Rajasthan Kamlesh Nagarkoti has taken the cricketing world by storm. In the under-19 World Cup, he took 9 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 3.48 while his best figures were 3 for 18. Moreover, former cricketer, Sourav Ganguly asked BCCI to keep an eye on him. 

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