New Delhi: It was the day before the Indian Premier League’s big auction, with famous Delhi coach Sanjay Bhardwaj having a brunch with a gentleman named Pawan Arya.
Bhardwaj’s famous disciples include current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, Amit Mishra, Nitish Rana, etc., who prophesied his son Priyansh and his son Priyansh.
“I told Pawanji, aap ka beta at least Rs 2.70 crore par bikega kal. Baki Ishwar ki marzi (Your son will fetch minimum Rs 2.70 crore and rest is up to the Almighty). Priyansh was sold for 3.8 crore,” Bhardwaj, also known as “Guru ji”, told PTI after his ward waltzed to CSK’s 39th ball medieval.
Bhardwaj was glad the auction price didn’t get into his mind. The 24-year-old Southpaw joined Bhardwaj’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy at the age of 10.
“Last year, he was able to remain calm when he hit six points in the Delhi Premier League South Delhi Supetstars. He practiced quietly even after bidding for war at the IPL auction. He didn’t change his father and brought him to my 10-year-old. He was 24, but now he is 24.”
“His parents, both government schools teachers, have instilled his good value.”
Just before the IPL, Priyansh worked at an academy near the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary near Bhopal.
“I have a residential academy in Bhopal near the jungle. Priyansh trained there before the IPL and worked in his game, shooting before he joined Punjab Kings Camp.”
Asking any Delhi player is not always easy to get a breakthrough, and Bhardwaj remembers how he really made sure to pay a huge club championship admission fee of Rs 50,000 so that his ward can get a shot at the Delhi U19 trial.
“The game was organized by a former Indian player. Priyansh was 16 at the time. The 50,000 entrance fee for a club like ours was a lot of money. But glad I paid it, Priyansh scored 93 while Gursharan Singh was in charge of the U19 and then got the U19, he put him in the Cooch Behar squad, and he got nearly 400 runs.
“He was selected for the Indian U19 and had a three-game winning streak with Proteas Colts.”
Priyansh’s Forte is the T20, and he can go to any bowler muscle without a lot of footwork.
Bhardwaj’s purpose was to finally see his ward among the white Indians.
Bhardwaj said: “Abhi US PE Bahot Kaam Baaki Hai (he is an ongoing work). We will work at my academy in Bhopal after the IPL so that he can become a Delhi frequent visitor to the Ranji Trophy.”
But what made him smile was his student gesture on Tuesday.
“I usually never ask for a pass, but there are people I can’t refuse, and I sent him a request for a few tickets. He texted me the envelope photos that my acquaintances could watch the game.”
Priyansh was well known in pre-season training camp, and it didn’t take long for the support staff of the Punjab King to believe in his special talents.
“Before the IPL, he played about eight goals before the IPL. That’s enough to say he had to play the first game,” assistant coach Brad Haddin told host Brad Haddin shortly after Priyansh’s hissing situation.
