NEW DELHI: Abhishek Jain was relaxing at his rented chawl in Dahisar, near Borivali in Mumbai, when his phone buzzed. On the other end was a Mumbai Cricket Association official with a simple question: “West Indies team ko bowl daalega?”Abhishek didn’t hesitate for a second. “Yes, sir, I am ready,” he replied instantly.
“Kal aa jana 8 baje subah,” the official told him.Abhishek, one of Mumbai’s well-known side-arm throwdown specialists, has bowled to some of the biggest names in Indian cricket, including KL Rahul, Irfan Pathan and Sachin Tendulkar. The opportunity to train the West Indies squad left him thrilled as he eagerly waited for the next morning.He boarded a local train from Borivali to Churchgate and made his way to the Wankhede Stadium, where the West Indies team was preparing for practice. Armed with his gloves and sidearm thrower in a bag, Abhishek was ready.West Indies head coach Darren Sammy signalled the area where he wanted the ball delivered. Abhishek nodded and began. The first batter to face him was Sherfane Rutherford.
The very first delivery fired in like a rocket and beat Rutherford for pace.Sammy burst into laughter, visibly impressed. Walking up to Abhishek, he said, “Brilliant man! How can you bowl without a warm-up?”Abhishek simply smiled and carried on.“Each West Indies player batted for 15–20 minutes. Most of my deliveries landed accurately — almost perfectly. Sammy sir was really happy, and things were going exactly the way he wanted. Rutherford batted well. Among all of them, Hetmyer hit the most big shots, but I managed to beat him multiple times,” Abhishek told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“I managed to beat Rutherford as well. Shai Hope, Rovman Powell, Roston Chase and Shamar Joseph also joined the batting practice. It was an unbelievable experience for me,” he said.At the end of the session, Sammy walked up to him, gave him a hug and patted his back in appreciation.“Sammy sir was very happy. He called one of the managers and said, ‘Call this boy daily.’ He asked them to put me in the roster for the upcoming practice sessions,” Abhishek said.
Highlighting his stamina and skill, he added: “In fifteen minutes, I can bowl 10 overs continuously. This has come with experience. Over time, I have learned how to increase my speed and bowl according to a batter’s requirement.”“Every West Indies batter followed Sammy sir’s instructions. He asked them to target specific areas with different speeds, and I bowled accordingly. West Indies batters are serious hitters of the ball — they hit very powerfully. I continued training them for the matches,” Abhishek said.KL RAHUL — THE FAVOURITEWhenever KL Rahul is in Mumbai, he messages Abhishek for throwdown sessions.“KL Rahul sir is my favourite. He is a great human being and has helped me a lot. My family went through a financial crisis, and during those difficult times, KL Rahul sir stood by me and supported us. He is not only a talented cricketer but also an amazing person. I have also bowled to Irfan Pathan sir and Sachin Tendulkar sir,” he said.
Abhishek lives with his younger brother in a chawl in Dahisar. His brother is pursuing law, and all his educational expenses are borne by Abhishek.“My parents stay in Madhya Pradesh. I live here and take care of my brother and his education. I also send money to my parents. Paying rent, supporting my parents and managing my brother’s education — all of this is on my shoulders,” he signed off.
