Defying Dhoni’s CSK, U19 WC Captain Priyam Garg Enters Big Leagues
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Priyam Garg scored his maiden IPL half-century against Chennai Super Kings.
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A six-day rest didn’t seem to have been enough for three-time champions Chennai Super Kings, who slumped to their third-straight loss in the Indian Premier League on Friday, 2 October.
Chasing Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 164/5, CSK could manage 157/5 in their 20 overs despite a half-century from Jadeja and unbeaten 47 from Dhoni at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. On the other hand, the David Warner-led SRH registered their second win in four matches, that helped them move to fourth place in the standings.
Earlier, choosing to bat, the Sunrisers hadn’t exactly got off to the best starts either. After opener Jonny Bairstow fell for a duck to Deepak Chahar in the first over, skipper Warner (28) and Pandey (29) stitched a 46-run stand. However, neither of the batsmen could stick around to help push Sunrisers towards a big total.
Piyush Chawla’s two wickets in two balls to dismiss Warner and Williamson (0) left SRH tottering at 69/4 in 11 overs.
The incoming pair of batsmen were no match for the experienced players who had preceded them at the crease. However, Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma – one 19-years-old and the other 20 years of age – helped steady the innings with a 77-run partnership for the fifth wicket, and get Sunrisers to a decent total.
Garg's sublime knock included six boundaries and one maximum, which were scored against bowlers including Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo.
The youngster received a standing ovation from the squad on scoring his maiden IPL half-century, and at the end of the innings.
He started his IPL campaign with a 12 against RCB, then did not get a chance to bat in the next two games against KKR and Delhi Capitals, but went home with Man of the Match trophy on Friday.
A Century on First-Class Debut to Captaining India at U-19 World Cup
The maturity that Garg displayed in Dubai on Friday wasn’t uncharacteristic of him at all. At 11 years, the right-handed batsman is known to have impressed his coach while facing now teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar – one of the fastest Indian bowlers.
The 19-year-old, who hails from a village called Quila Parikshitgarh, had earned a spot in Uttar Pradesh’s senior cricket squad after his impressive performance in the 2018 KSCA Invitational tournament in Bengaluru, where he finished as the highest run-getter.
In November that year, Garg made his first-class debut and smashed a century in the Ranji Trophy match against Goa. He went on to finish the season with 814 runs in 10 matches at an average of 67.83, second-most for his team, behind Rinku Singh.
On the back of his performances in domestic cricket, Garg was selected in the Under-19 squad and went on to captain India at the Under-19 World Cup. He could not impress with the bat, but led his team to the final, where India lost to Bangladesh. He scored 68 runs in three innings which included a highest score of 56.
Priyam lost his mother at a young age, and has dedicated his success in his cricket to his father. In an interview to PTI Bhasha, Garg said, “My father Naresh Garg drives a school van. I have one elder brother and three sisters. I am the youngest in the family. My father didn’t have enough money to take care of such a big family and support my cricket career.”
“But seeing my love and dedication for the sport, he borrowed some money from his friend and bought me a cricket kit and arranged for my coaching. I started playing cricket and due to my father’s hard work today I’m captain of the under-19 team,” he added.
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