Harvinder Singh was one of India's most promising pacers in the 1990s having played three Tests and 16 ODIs.
A youngster from a small village delivers a sensational performance in the IPL.
It was celebratory time when Ashwani Kumar from Jhanjheri village in Punjab made a stunning debut for the Mumbai Indians, taking 4 for 24 and guiding his team to an eight-wicket win on March 31.
I was fortunate to be in Amritsar on that day, and it was interesting to see all newspapers prominently displayed with pride the achievements of their local hero.
A similar celebration occurred when Kerala's Vignesh Puthur delivered an outstanding three-wicket spell in his debut for Mumbai against Chennai on March 23.
These moments bring to light the lesser-known stories of determination and hard work that helped these players rise to prominence.
It was a double delight for the people of Amritsar, as not only did Ashwani Kumar shine, but their own Prabhsimran Singh also played a match-winning knock of 69 for Punjab Kings against Lucknow Super Giants, earning the Player of the Match award.
While in Amritsar, I had the opportunity to meet Harvinder Singh, Ashwani Kumar's coach.
Interestingly, Amritsar has a cricket ground that has hosted only two international matches.
This stadium, known as Gandhi stadium at the Gandhi Sports Complex, has a rich but limited history.
Harvinder, the coaching director of the Punjab Cricket Association, is based in Mohali but frequently travels to his birthplace, Amritsar.
While at the stadium, I saw him mentoring a group of young cricketers eager to learn a few tricks of the trade.
Gandhi stadium has not hosted any international match since 1995. Only two One Day Internationals (ODIs) have been played here.
The first was in 1982, when Kapil Dev's India faced Bandula Warnapura's Sri Lanka. India won by 78 runs, with left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi taking 4 for 44.
The second match took place in 1995, when Mohammad Azharuddin's Indian team defeated Lee Germon's New Zealand by six wickets.
Manoj Prabhakar starred with a five-wicket haul (5 for 33). This match also featured the legendary Martin Crowe, who played only two more matches before retiring. He later passed away in 2016. Sachin Tendulkar contributed 36 runs in that game.
Despite Amritsar's passionate cricket fan base and its status as a tourist destination -- home to the historic Golden Temple -- it is surprising that the stadium has not hosted an international match for 31 years.
Harvinder Singh was one of India's most promising pacers in the 1990s.
He played three Tests and 16 ODIs, making his debut in the Toronto Sahara Cup against Pakistan with a three-wicket haul, dismissing Shahid Afridi, Saleem Malik and Azhar Mahmood.
In total, he has 24 ODI wickets and four in Tests. He also participated in the 1998 Sharjah Coca-Cola Cup and later served as a national selector in 2020.
Harvinder Singh, like many Punjabis, is a strong and determined individual. Even at 47, he remains fit and passes on his discipline to his students.
Ashwani Kumar's rise is a testament to his focus and perseverance.
Hailing from the village of Jhanjheri, Ashwani would cycle nearly 25 kms to Mohali every day for practice.
After his brilliant debut spell, he stated that every time he plays, he wants to make his village proud.
His journey was supported by his friends who pooled money to buy him cricket balls.
One of the first things he did upon receiving his Mumbai Indians contract worth ₹30 lakh was to buy cricket kits and balls for the academy in his village.
Mumbai Indians' talent scouting system has been instrumental in discovering many young stars.
Their list of spotted talents includes Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Tilak Varma.
This season, they have unearthed promising players like Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur, P S N Raju and Robin Minz, continuing their legacy of nurturing future cricketing stars.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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