Bengal vs Uttarakhand LIVE: Abhimanyu Easwaran Ranji Trophy – How far can you go to satiate your passion for cricket? Ask Ranganathan Parameswaran…
Bengal vs Uttarakhand LIVE: Abhimanyu Easwaran Ranji Trophy – How far can you go to satisfy your passion for cricket? Ask Ranganathan Parameswaran Easwaran, who bought a large piece of land in Dehradun in 2005, spent an astronomical amount from his own pocket to build a first-class cricket stadium. Follow Ranji Trophy 2023 updates with InsideSport.IN.
On January 3, when Bengal take on Uttarakhand in a Ranji Trophy Group B match, Easwaran can’t be blamed for being a little nostalgic when son Abhimanyu, an opener knocking on the national team’s door, will play a first class match at “Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Stadium”.
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Bengal vs Uttarakhand LIVE: Abhimanyu Easwaran to play a first-class match at the stadium named after him in Bengal’s clash with Uttarakhand, Follow Ranji Trophy LIVE updates
“It is a proud moment for me to play a Ranji game at a ground where I learned all cricket as a young man. This is the result of his (father’s) love and hard work and it’s always a great feeling to come home, but once you’re on the field, the focus is on winning the game for Bengal.” 27-year-old Abhimanyu, who has 19 hundreds and was recently part of the Indian Test squad in Bangladesh, told PTI on the eve of the match.
While stadiums named after legendary cricketers after retirement is not a new phenomenon, there are not many examples where an active Indian first-class uncapped player would ply his trade in a cricket stadium named after him.
Be it the Viv Richards Ground in Antigua, the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba (Trinidad & Tobago) or the Allan Border Ground in Brisbane, grounds and stadiums were christened after legends ended their illustrious careers. In this regard, Abhimanyu playing at ‘Abhimanyu Stadium’ is indeed a special occasion for father and son.
The picturesque ground, which also has floodlights, has been approved by the BCCI for several years with many domestic matches (senior, junior, women’s and age group), but never before has the stadium owner himself played a first-class game.
“Yes, I don’t think there are many cases, but for me this is not an achievement. Yes, I feel good, but the real achievement would be if my son can play 100 Tests for India. This is a stadium that I built because of my passion for the game and not just for my son.” RP Easwaran told PTI ahead of the Ranji Trophy game.
Bengal vs Uttarakhand LIVE: Abhimanyu Easwaran to play a first-class match at the stadium named after him in Bengal’s clash with Uttarakhand, Follow Ranji Trophy LIVE updates
“I started building it in 2006 and I’m still spending out of pocket to constantly improve it. There are no returns, but it’s all about my love for the game.” A chartered accountant by profession, Easwaran started the ‘Abhimanyu Cricket Academy’ in 1988 even before his son was born in 1995.
“I had been a newspaper vendor and sold ice cream in Dehradun while completing my CA degree. I wanted to give back to the game and it is my good fortune that God gave me a son who also plays cricket. But the passion to create a cricket structure was always there. Now I have stopped active practice and just relaxed.” the sense of accomplishment was palpable in the elder Easwaran’s tone.
While he is a proud father of an India ‘A’ captain, what gives him more satisfaction is that his academy has produced five players who are in the Uttarakhand Ranji team, including wicketkeeper Deepak Dhapola, who took eight wickets in the last game.
“Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik have all come here and practiced at our facility. We have built 60 accommodation rooms, 20 hostel rooms, indoor practice facilities illuminated during monsoon, state-of-the-art gymnasium, staff quarters, indoor laundries, bakery,” Easwaran said.
When Abhimanyu was asked about the Uttarakhand players he grew up training with, he said that in this day and age, every bit of data is available.. “Yes, I practiced with a lot of them and I wouldn’t deny that it helped. But in this day and age with extensive video analysis being done, no one has any particular advantage as such. Abhimanyu said, declaring that the field is his “Home Stadium” It will be a “sports”.
The head coach of Abhimanyu’s state team, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, is a tough battle pro who doesn’t want his ward to get emotional. “It’s a fantastic ground, the pitch looks good and the pitch is great. But I know Abhi (that’s what they call him in cricket circles). He is a practical guy and we have a Ranji game to play and he is focused on that. Good for you media as it is an interesting fact.” said Shukla.
Bengal vs Uttarakhand LIVE: Abhimanyu Easwaran to play a first-class match at the stadium named after him in Bengal’s clash with Uttarakhand, Follow Ranji Trophy LIVE updates
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