Ravi Bishnoi: Kid with a golden arm

Seven out of the top ten bowlers on the list of highest wicket-takers in the recently-concluded Under-19 World Cup were spinners. Three out of these seven were leg-spinners, but the one at helm - of the entire list - wasn’t defined by numbers alone. 

Sure, 17 wickets in six games has a nice ring to it, but his ability to incite fear in batsmen and excite those afar makes him one of the most interesting prospects out of the recently-concluded edition. A wee lad with a wild smile, a reckless tongue-wag and a wicked googly - social media has plenty of evidence - lit the world stage with his brand of aggressive spin. But less than two years ago, Ravi Bishnoi wasn’t even sure of making the Under-19 Rajasthan side.

It’s an archetypal small-town Indian story of a young boy with little inclination for education and the desire to live an endless cricket dream. With his father being the headmaster of a nearby school, it wasn’t easy convincing him to allow his youngest to pursue sport, but his brother’s infectious energy during throwdown sessions at a park next door and his mother’s prodding, kept Bishnoi going. He had unyielding passion, but not an outlet to help further his growth. Thus, Spartans Cricket Academy was born. Built, to be exact.   

“We didn’t have a place to practice so one day a couple of my older friends decided to start an academy. We couldn’t afford heavy machinery so we all levelled ground with our hands,” Bishnoi reminisces while at his home in Jodhpur. 

“We cleared out all the boulders. We had to borrow hammers and other tools from our neighbours and did it ourselves. We worked on that place for close to six months. It’s our pride now. We didn’t know what was going to come from it. We just did it because we knew it was required. Jodhpur didn’t have facilities at the time and we came up with one.”

Bishnoi didn’t mind the 40km round-trip each day as long as he got to bowl. He desired to become a fast bowler - ‘I didn’t need an expensive kit to be a bowler’ - but it was a muck-around ‘googly session’ which piqued his interest, especially after earning the validation of a senior at the camp. 

“I would run in as a fast as I could and bowl, no direction, nothing. I enjoyed how my body felt in putting so much effort,” he says. “There was no technique and I didn’t bother with it either. Only after I was told that I could bowl the googly well did I think I should change and work on my technique, because for the first time, I learnt I was naturally good at something.

“For some reason, I had more control bowling leg-spin than I did bowling off-spin like most people. It came naturally to me. Actually, it was the googly that convinced me that I should bowl leg-spin.”

That worked out well. After being ignored by selectors at age-group trials for a couple of years, Bishnoi’s Spartan coaches pleaded with the selectors to give the youngster a keener eye. Better sense prevailed and he was selected to play the Under-19 Challenger Trophy and the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. He even went for selection trials with Rajasthan Royals. Bishnoi credits hard work and incessant YouTube videos on a friend’s phone for his dramatic evolution. 

“I was watching videos of Shane Warne and Anil Kumble on YouTube every single day, those Master Classes. I saw them a thousand times. I taught myself the dynamics of the googly because from behind it’s easier to see,” he says. “When I was at home, I would randomly try it against the every wall and eventually I knew exactly what to do when bowling in a game.”

While the Indian Premier League scouts sang praise of his potential, the news which the Bishnoi household found intriguing and joyful in equal measure was his selection to the Indian Under-19 team for the World Cup in South Africa. He had been with the national side for a couple of months but this was an unexpected promotion.  

“I didn’t believe I would make it, ever. Why would they take anyone from a random place like Jodhpur seriously?” he ponders aloud. “We have no history of producing international cricketers. Rajasthan has an IPL team but that’s not the same. In fact, my mother motivated me. She watches cricket all the time and she kept telling me that I could do it.”

He arrived in Bloemfontein for his first taste of the World Cup and started with figures of 2 for 44 against Sri Lanka. A decent start, but what came after was: 4/5 (against Japan), 4/30 (against New Zealand), 1/26 (against Australia), 2/46 (against Pakistan) and 4/30 (against Bangladesh).

Three four-wicket hauls, including one in the final, and he picked the game against Australia as his best. “The ball came out of my hand perfectly,” he explains.  

What about the final?

“I won’t forget that game for the rest of my life. I cannot believe we lost. We worked so hard to get there. We played so well. If you ask me, I shouldn’t have gotten out (with just over six overs left, Bishnoi was run out). That’s when the game changed. That regret will remain with me for a long time. We had no business losing that game. It was ours to win, or lose. Ab bhi merre samaj mein nahi aati hein (I still don’t understand what happened).”