"A dream: When my son will bowl for Team India"

"A dream: When my son will bowl for Team India"

In the deep darkness of the night, when the whole house was fast asleep, I was quietly sitting on my chair and dreaming a dream—a dream that was not in my eyes, but in my heart.

Vijendra... my son... when he will wear the blue jersey of the Indian cricket team, with a shining ball in his hands, and will enter the field in front of the whole country... this thought itself gives me goosebumps.

The beginning of the struggle

Vijendra was passionate about bowling since childhood. When other children were competing to bat, he would practice bowling for hours. Looking at his strong shoulders and stubborn determination, I felt that he was not just a bowler, but a warrior who would fight his battle on the 22-yard pitch. I still remember that when I used to return home from my work in the evening, my son would be waiting for me. As soon as I arrived, he would hand me a cricket bat. And then he would say, Papa, you bat, I am bowling for you. I myself have been a good player who could not succeed in reaching my destination. But I was fully prepared to see my dreams take wings in the form of a son. I wanted to see all my unfulfilled dreams fulfilled through my son Vijendra. Many times I would feel tired but could not refuse to practice with my son. I could see the ocean of my dreams in his eyes.

But the journey was not easy. There were very few people in the family and neighborhood who considered cricket as a career. Many times relatives said - "Let the son focus on studies, nothing will happen with cricket."

But I knew that when dreams are big, the obstacles are also big. I never tried to stop him, rather I would wake him up every morning and send him to the field, becoming his partner in his hard work. After some time I enrolled him in a nearby cricket academy. His talent soon made Vijendra everyone's favorite. Now he started participating in many tournaments with the team. His performance was increasing the number of his fans and the awards were reducing the empty space in the house. Whenever he won any award, the whole family would celebrate. My chest would swell with pride.

Birth of a dream

One day, the match between India and Pakistan was going on on TV. Jasprit Bumrah had brought the opposition batsmen to their knees with his sharp bowling. Vijendra's face was glowing. He said to me—

"Papa, one day I will also play on this ground, and when my ball swings in the air, the world will take my name!"

The passion in his eyes awakened a new dream in my heart—now it was not just his dream, it had become my dream too. Now Vijendra was sixteen years old. He needed the best training to succeed. After seeing many coaches, it was finally decided to send Vijendra to the Dronacharya award winning coach who coaches our national team coach in Bhopal. Now he has returned after a year of training. His hard work and dedication are still continuing.

One morning, light of hope

Even today, when he goes out for a run at four in the morning, when he sweats for hours in the nets, I watch from a distance and think to myself -

"Will that day come when his name will shine on TV? When the commentator will say - 'This is India's new star bowler, Vijendra!' "

This dream is becoming deeper in my eyes every day.

Every big player first dreams a dream, and then works hard to fulfill it. This is not just my son's story, it is the story of every parent who makes their children's dreams their own dreams.