From Jharkhand to the hearts of cricket legends

Underneath the echoes of MS Dhoni's incredible journey from Jharkhand, one of India's poorer states, to the upper echelons of global cricket, lies an unsung hero named Vimal Kumar.

- Rituraj Borkakoty [e-mail]

A cricket journalist who has broken free from the shackles of a regular job in the media industry, Kumar has built his own platform on YouTube where he talks about the game from the ground, earning millions of views.

The 48-year-old is also the only journalist in India who gets to sit down with iconic stars such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin for exclusive one-on-one interviews at a time when the media fraternity laments the lack of access to players.

But the moment that remains closest to his heart was the launch of his book, Sachin: Cricketer of the Century, where Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni were the chief guests in Delhi.

Kumar's recipe for success is simple — do positive stories and build trust so players, no matter how big they are, feel comfortable sitting next to you and open up about everything in cricket and life.

"I have proved that good cricket stories also do well. You don't have to do negative, toxic and sensational stories for TRPs," said Kumar who was in Dubai to cover the Asia Cup.

"Some people taunt me for being a positive journalist who has the spirit of a fan. Can you believe this? People mocking you for doing positive stories?

"But I don't mind, I am here to do good stories and spread happiness. Fans who see me and recognise me at stadiums, they hug me and give me that positive energy."