Shivang Kumar: How father Praveen transformed the swashbuckling opener into a Chinaman in a year! | cricket news & more related news here

NEW DELHI: “Mujhe Shramjeevi Express ko le kar Patna jana hai, meri train ek ghante mein Platform 8 se niklegi, main aapko 10 minutes from sakta hun (I have to take the Shramjeevi Express to Patna. The train will leave in an hour from platform 8. I can give it 10 minutes,” says Praveen Kumar, who works as chief ticket inspector (CIT) in the Indian Railways.A former Bengal Under-19 cricketer, Praveen has been with the Indian Railways for the last 34 years and has played a pivotal role in shaping his son Shivang Kumar’s cricket career. Shivang is currently wearing the jersey of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He has picked six wickets in eight matches with best figures of 3/33 against Punjab Kings on April 11.

“When I was around eight years old, a saint in Vrindavan predicted that I would fulfill my unfulfilled dreams. I would become a top-class cricketer. I thought the man wanted money. I tried to give him 50 rupees, but he refused and said, ‘Aapka naam raushan karega ye ladka (This boy will make you proud),'” Praveen Kumar recalls a story from a family trip to Vrindavan.The prophecy came true and Shivang really makes his father proud.“I have been taking him to the stadium since I was five years old. I used to take my two sons (Shivang and Devang) with me. I never forced them, but I used to pray that the cricket gods, who were cruel to me, would allow me to live my dream through my children. It is all God’s plan,” says Kumar.

Praveen vividly remembers how after playing for Bengal Under-19, when his name appeared among the Ranji Trophy probables, he returned to Moradabad to seek the blessings of his parents, but destiny had something else in store for him.“I was offered a job in the Railways under the sports quota. Meri maa ne kaha ki main bhari thaali mein laat maar raha hoon (My mother said I was being ungrateful). I took the job and quit cricket,” he says.But two months ago, when Shivang was offered a job in the Railways, he took a stand. “Maine pelota goli maaro naukari ko aur cricket pe dhyan do (I told him to forget about work and concentrate on cricket).”The accidental rouletteAbout a year ago, Praveen had another serious conversation with his son and told him that as a batsman, he would not be picked for Madhya Pradesh, let alone the IPL or the Indian team. Reality shook young Shivang, but he trusted his father’s plan.Interestingly, until last year, Shivang was a top-order batsman and his exploits for Bhopal Leopards in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League brought him into the limelight. But it was his left-arm wrist spin that added more value to his profile, and he was picked as Bundelkhand Bulls’ star player for Rs 13 lakh in the 2026 season.IPL franchises Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad called him for trials. He then went on to play List A and T20 cricket for Madhya Pradesh. In three List A games, he took ten wickets, including a five-wicket haul against a strong Karnataka team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took eight wickets in as many matches and impressed everyone with his guile. Shivang was then picked by SRH in the IPL auction.

“It was night and I was having tea with him in our courtyard in Moradabad. I told him he would have to do something out of the ordinary. He was a left-arm spinner and an opener. The opening slot is full of state and IPL teams and with the kind of pitches being prepared these days, his left-arm spin was useless. I gave him the ball and asked him to play Chinese. The ball spun. I myself rotated the wrist with my left arm. I showed him the grip for the googly and the legbreaker. He executed it perfectly,” Kumar recalls.Immediately, father and son headed to the nearest stadium, where Shivang was bowling while Praveen was shooting videos. After analyzing them, Praveen was convinced that his son could reach the highest level, but there was a problem.“The ball revolutions were amazing. The error was excellent. I told him that if he worked according to the schedule I had given him, he would have a great career. For the next three months, he bowled 25 overs a day on a single stump, and he was all set,” says Praveen. During the MPL, when Shivang joined Bhopal Leopards, his coach Devendra Bundela, who had picked Shivang for his batting, was impressed with his wrist spin.“I told him that no matter how many runs he conceded in the MPL, he would do wrist spins. It was a miracle. I still can’t believe it. Shivang was always an opening batsman. What a transformation he has had,” says Bundela, a former Madhya Pradesh captain who has played 164 first-class matches.MS Dhoni’s touch

Growing up, like most athletes, was not easy for Shivang. At the age of 13, he decided to quit cricket after not being selected for the Uttar Pradesh Under-14 and Under-16 teams in the trials held at Kamla Club in Kanpur. A dejected Shivang asked his father to pack his cricket equipment and keep it in the warehouse as he wanted to concentrate on his studies.“Yeh U-14, U-16 ke chakkar mein marks kam aa rahe hain, cricket ab rehne dete hain. Padh leta hoon, shayad kuch ban jaun (I am getting bad marks because of all this U-14 and U-16 cricket. I think I should stop for now. I will concentrate on studies, maybe I will become something,” says Kumar.“I didn’t want to force it either, so I made peace with it.”A year later, Shivang went with his friends to watch MS Dhoni’s biopic at the theatre. “He came back and said, ‘Dad, lagta hai badi jaldi haar maan gaye (I think I gave up too soon),'” a rejuvenated Shivang told his father.The next day, Praveen also watched the film.“I cried after watching it. I remembered my days, how I used to travel in general compartments for a day to reach Calcutta. It moved me. I returned home and told him to pack his bags and gear as we would leave for Gwalior the next morning,” he says.

Praveen took Shivang to the Tansen Cricket Academy in Gwalior, where the coach needed an opening partner for an under-16 tournament in Bhopal.

“Shivang’s initial partner was Priyansh Arya,” laughs Praveen. “In that match, Priyansh scored 180 and Shivang 160,” he adds.From then on, Shivang never looked back, nor did his father. Praveen has yet to see his son play live in a stadium, but he is not worried.“My first duty is to the Indian Railways. They have given me everything. If they give me permission, I will go and watch them play. Until then, I have more serious responsibilities on my shoulders,” he concluded on the Shramjeevi Express, which is still scheduled to depart from platform 8 in 45 minutes.