JAIPUR: 'People call me Malinga', says Ravinder Khichar whose bowling action has striking similarity with that of the former Sri Lankan pacer. There is no exaggeration here. If you happen to enter the SMS Stadium, ask about Ravinder and the reply would be 'who Ravinder?'. After further nudging, the reply would change to 'achha woh Malinga (oh! that Malinga)'.
These days, the 22-year-old from Bhadra tehsil in Hanumangarh district can be seen bowling at the net sessions of Rajasthan Royals being held in Jaipur. For him, it is not only a great chance to bowl to some of the best players in the world, but also to learn from Royals bowling coach and his idol Lasith Malinga.
Ravinder is grateful for the experience he is gaining by being around one of the greatest bowlers in the world.
"It was in March-end this year that I bumped into Zubin Bharucha, Royals director of strategy, development, and performance, outside the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) Academy and showed him my video and asked him to give me a chance. He then called me during a Royals camp and said if we like your bowling, we will give you a chance as a net bowler," recalled Ravinder.
The youngster is not a contracted net bowler. He currently trains at PS Cricket Academy adjacent to the RCA Academy at the SMS Stadium where Royals train.
"Like most kids, I also started playing cricket at a very young age. But it has been six years since I started playing with a leather ball. For three years I trained at Haryana Cricket Academy (HCA) and for two years at Madan Lal Cricket Academy, Rudrapur. My father works in Delhi and a few of his acquaintances there suggested that I could be enrolled at HCA. From there, coach Amanjot Brar took me to Madan Lal Academy which offers residential facilities. There I played Under-19 school nationals for Uttrakhand," said the right-arm pacer with a slingy action, who has not played any domestic cricket so far.
Ravinder comes from a humble background where his father is the sole breadwinner of the family of four.
He pointed out that he never tried aping Malinga. "This is my natural action. And it was other people in our village who pointed out to my father that I bowl like Lasith Malinga and persuaded him to make me join an academy when I was very young."
Sharing about the tips he has received from the Lankan legend, Ravinder said, "Outswingers are my strength. And Malinga sir has given me tips on arm movement, wrist positioning and many other things like improvement in diet and gym regime. He has asked me to bowl 70-80 balls daily."
Chuffed at the exposure he is getting at the IPL 2023, the Rajasthan fast bowler proudly mentioned about the gift he received from Malinga. "I could impress him. He liked my bowling and rewarded me with a pair of shoes," he added.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Ravinder, but this is certainly one of the several 'talent meets opportunity' tales that the IPL is famous for.
