When told to get off the mobile and Whatsapp and think big, Pranav did not limit himself
PRANAV DHANAWADE’S RECORD-BREAKING 1009* has taken the entire cricketing world by storm. From India to Australia writers, cricketers and fans have expressed plenty of admiration and fanfare already on the 15-year-old.
Mumbai cricket maidans are known for their rich history in producing the greatest batting legends in Indian cricket. In fact, if there is one quality that all upcoming school cricketers in Mumbai have in common, it is the hunger and desire to keep piling on the runs. Over the years, stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli have all enjoyed being the run-machines for their respective schools and in the recent past the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan too have demonstrated such heroic efforts. And, after Dhanawade’s marathon innings for his school Smt KC Gandhi School (Kalyan), the tradition of herculean efforts with the bat in the city continues.
But Dhanawade was not always known to play the long and grinding innings, but everything changed after his coach Mubin Sheikh reminded the youngster the importance of scoring the daddy hundreds. As reported by Firstpost, Dhanawade’s coach said,
"What's the use of dealing in 70s and 80s? Hundreds of people somewhere in the country hit these kind of runs. Think something big, do something different to get into the reckoning and catch the attention of concerned people. Enough of this Mobile and Whatsapp, concentrate on getting something big. If you don't play well then you would end up being a scorer, decide what you want to be - scorer or a cricketer?"
Like a quick learner and a disciplined student, Dhanawade took his coach’s advice seriously and as they say, the rest is history. Speaking on the transformation, the Mumbai boy told Indian Express,
“I wanted to score big runs. I remember my coach telling me that no one will take me in the Mumbai team if I score these hundreds and two hundreds. After all, I don’t play on the Mumbai circuit. The facilities are not that great here but at least this knock will help me get recognition and a chance to represent Mumbai.”
Like most Mumbai children, Pranav too was mischievous and his on-field antics forced his coach to make the Kalyan native a regular wicket-keeper for his team. Today, Pranav is an ardent fan of former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin.
Further explaining the smart ploy, Sheikh added,
“Pranav was a very mischevious boy when he was a child. I used to get really angry and when I scolded him, he used to pee in his pants. However, he was difficult to handle. One day I decided why not make him a wicket-keeper? At least he will stay under my watchful eyes and use all the energy in concentrating on his keeping."
Pranav might be the busy receiving a few awards and rewards from several corners of the town, but the youngster hails from a relatively poor background as his father earns their livelihood by driving an autorickshaw in the streets of Kalyan.
Majority of big-time school cricket is played in the southern suburbs of Mumbai and traveling to the city from the outskirts can take quite a toll on Pranav’s body. But senior Dhanawade (Prashanth) feels that there isn’t a need for the whole family to shift their base close to the city.
“We had offers for him to play in Mumbai but the travelling would have taken a heavy toll on him. Kalyan may not have produced many cricketers who have reached any great level. But if he’s good then he will get noticed regardless of where he’s playing,” said father Dhanawade.
