Ajay Kumar would be forgiven for feeling envious of a player nearly half his age living out his dream for the franchise he so nearly represented himself in the Indian Premier League.
While Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old sensation, is dominating the news cycle of the world’s biggest cricket league, Kumar is instead plying his trade rather more anonymously.
On Wednesday morning, in front of precisely no spectators in Dubai, the 29-year-old left-arm pace bowler gave further notice of his own capabilities.
Playing for Emirates Blues in the UAE’s domestic 50-over competition, he was as good as unplayable. He took five wickets to set up an easy win over Fujairah at the ICC Academy.
The Emirates D50 is essentially a tune-up for the country’s leading players ahead of a tour to Nepal later this month, and a chance for those on the fringes of the national team to push for selection.
Kumar would surely be a shoo-in for the side if he was eligible, but he has to wait. He arrived in the country around two years ago, meaning he has to wait another year until he can play under the ICC’s residency criteria.
He moved to the UAE on the recommendation of his coach back in India, after finally giving up hopes of cracking the IPL.
Kumar could scarcely have done more. He represented Rajasthan, his home state, from Under-14 to Under-25 level.
While on the margins of their Ranji Trophy state team, he had two years as a net bowler for Rajasthan Royals, then three more with Lucknow Super Giants. One season, he was a travelling substitute.
But the ultimate call never came, so he drifted away. “I was really hoping [to make it into the IPL] because I had a great domestic season that time, and I was doing well in T20 leagues as well,” Kumar said.
“In India, every state has their own T20 league, and from there people get picked for the IPL. I did well and I was really hoping that I'm going to get my chances, but it didn’t happen for me. Still, you have to hope for the best.”
Kumar said he had no plan for the future at all after arriving in the UAE. “I just love playing cricket,” he said. “There was nothing in my mind that I'm going to be qualifying [to play for the UAE] very soon or later.
“I didn't know that there was a three-year rule, but I did come here with a dream. By God’s grace, I got chances, and it has been really good for me.”
While international cricket remains a little way off, Kumar has already fulfilled one of his aspirations.
He has worn the purple and gold of Kolkata Knight Riders – albeit while playing for their sister franchise in Abu Dhabi – and caught the eye while doing so.
He enjoyed a brilliant debut campaign in the DP World International League T20, having been picked up at auction by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. By the end of the season he was the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 18, tied with Waqar Salamkheil, the Afghan spinner.
“I was confident and when I got my chance to perform at that level, I was really excited,” Kumar said.
“The coach gave me a lot of confidence; the credit goes to DJ Bravo and Jason Holder. DJ was really happy with me because I did all his celebrations. And I made really good friends there.”
His display in the ILT20 has got him noticed. Maybe a gig elsewhere within the Knight Riders’ global network could happen in the future.
He has already been invited to a European T20 event taking place in Belgium later this summer, and was on the longlist for the Hundred auction.
“When I came here, the first ILT20 was happening,” he said. “That year I didn't play, but I watched all the matches and I saw how the UAE players were doing.
“They've been getting great exposure from that tournament in the world of cricket.
“So obviously, from that time it was in my mind that I'm going to be trying for selection for this league.
“It's a great exposure because in terms of the viewers the ILT20 gets, this league is, I think, second or third in the world.
“People do watch that, and with that kind of performance, I'm really hoping I'll get picked for other leagues as well.”
