Vipraj's success bodes well for me, says coach

Call it destiny or something else, but for Sarwar Nawab, it's now a total new world of his cricket coaching at the PAC Ground in Barabanki.

- Sharad Deep

In the last year or so, the number of cricketers at his academy grew to over 150 and the numbers are growing each passing day.

The reason for this amazing growth is the success of young all-rounder Vipraj Nigam, who in his debut season in the cash-rich Indian Premier League, impressed everyone both with his batting and bowling, especially leg spin. While playing for Delhi Capitals, Nigam not only took 11 wickets in 14 matches, but also scored 142 runs, including a match-winning 39.

Nigam belongs to the cricket academy of Sarwar Nawab and is being viewed as the biggest inspiration not only for his co-trainees at the academy but also for every young cricketer in Barabanki, which is situated around 28 km from Lucknow.

“Things have changed drastically in the number of trainees at my academy. In fact, Nigam’s success has ignited new hopes among the young cricketers of the area and now everyone wants to become an all-rounder like him,” said Sarwar Nawab on Friday.

“I was almost surprised when I started getting phone calls for admission in my academy since Nigam’s name figured prominently in the IPL. His success with both ball and bat at the second edition of the UPTwenty20 League also drew a lot of attention from cricketers in my academy,” said Nawab, 58.