Before Tuesday’s match between Karnali Yaks and Janakpur Bolts in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), most eyes were on England’s Moeen Ali and Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed, Hunain Shah and Hussain Talat.
The veteran all-rounder Ali was playing in Nepal for the first time. Because of a dispute over No Objection Certificates (NOCs), it was uncertain whether Ahmed, Shah and Talat, who had signed contracts with their teams, would take the field. Ahmed and Shah did not play, but Talat did.
Karnali batted first against Janakpur, and Moeen Ali opened the bowling. He gave Janakpur a good start by dismissing Mark Watt on the last ball of the first over. Lalit Rajbanshi bowled the second over, and Karnali’s Deepak Dumre hit him for two consecutive sixes. Lalit conceded 14 runs in that over.
The 17-year-old bowler Rahul Yadav came on in the third over. Playing his first match, he dismissed Dumre on his debut ball. He gave away just one run in that over and took a wicket.
Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh then gave Rahul the ball in the sixth over. The first two balls were dots. On the third ball, Rahul sent back Pakistan’s Hussain Talat for 3 runs off 3 balls, causing a sensation. He again conceded only one run in that over and took a wicket. After that, talk about him quickly grew.
Hunain Shah, the fast bowler Janakpur had signed, could not play the first match because of the NOC dispute over Pakistani players. Had he played, Rahul might not have got a chance in the opening game. He did get the chance and delivered a brilliant performance in his debut match, taking two wickets.
Many people worried whether Rahul, who had performed so well on a big stage at a young age, could maintain his form. But he proved himself again in the second match on Thursday. He was named Player of the Match after taking 4 wickets against Kathmandu Gorkhas at the TU Cricket Ground.
Having taken a wicket on the first ball of his debut, Rahul again struck on the first ball of his second match. He dismissed Sam Heazlett for 1 run and gave Janakpur a good start.
In his second over, he got the other opener, Smit Patel, caught by captain Harmeet Singh. This put Kathmandu under pressure. In his third over, Rahul took two more wickets, dismissing Kathmandu captain Karan KC on the fifth ball of the 17th over and Adil Alam on the sixth. He has now become a regular player in the team.
Rahul says his confidence has grown with each wicket.
“I was a bit nervous in the first match. After that match, the nervousness vanished. Taking a wicket on the first ball boosted my confidence even more,” he says.
Many people are now paying attention to his performance.
Sharad Vesawkar, mentor and cricket director of Kathmandu Gorkhas, sees Rahul as Nepal’s next fast bowler.
“We had also played a practice match at the Mulpani Ground. In that game too, he had pace and a different bowling action. It is not easy for batters to play against that,” he says.
Sharad, a former cricketer, says Rahul deserves credit for the win.
“He truly deserves credit. He put us under pressure by taking wickets at the start,” he says.
England’s all-rounder Moeen Ali, who is playing the NPL for Janakpur, says Rahul could become Nepal’s Malinga.
“The way he is bowling, he has a good future. With the slinging action he has, he can become Nepal’s Malinga,” he says.
In the match where Rahul took 4 wickets, Janakpur beat Kathmandu by 8 wickets. The veteran all-rounder Moeen Ali’s unbeaten 58 off 52 balls and Saif Hassan’s 40 off 39 balls laid the foundation for Janakpur’s win.
Selected among 446 participants
Until a few days ago, Rahul from Chandrapur in Rautahat dreamed of playing in the NPL and learning from seniors. He practised daily at the Chandrapur Cricket Academy in Rautahat and played occasional local tournaments.
Janakpur Bolts organised a talent hunt at the very place where Rahul practised. He took part, and his performance impressed the selectors among 446 participants. He was picked as Janakpur’s iconic player for the third edition of the NPL.
Even after being selected as an iconic player, Rahul was not sure he would get to play from the first match. He was excited, though, about the chance to learn from the star players. Few players who come through talent hunts get a chance in the opening match. Janakpur’s coach and captain trusted Rahul and gave him that opportunity, and he proved them right.
“Many teams do not give opportunities to players selected from the talent hunt in the first match. But the captain trusted me and played me,” Rahul says. “It went well in the first match. It went well in today’s match too. I am confident I will do well in every match.”
