His elder brother gave up cricket for him, 23-year-old from Jammu repays his faith with Rs 2.6 crore IPL deal

On Friday, that family decision paid off when Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up Vivranti, the 23-year-old leg-spinner from J&K, for Rs 2.60 crore, 13 times his base price, in the IPL mini-auction in Kochi.

And yet, Vivrants’ day of joy was tinged with regret. If my father had been alive, he would have been very happy. But still, my journey has just begun. The priest’s death hit us hard. My brother took over the business (acids and chemicals) and told me to focus on cricket. He played at the intercollegiate level. He was my idol and I used to imitate his batting stance. I was a right-handed batsman and I changed just to imitate my brother and the change stuck,” Vivrant told The Indian Express from Ahmedabad, where J&K were involved in a Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat.

There were also several record-breaking purchases in the IPL on Friday, with Punjab Kings paying an all-time record Rs 18.25 crore for England all-rounder Sam Curran. Two other all-rounders Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians, Rs 17.5 crore) and Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings, Rs 16.25 crore) also triggered heated bidding in Kochi.

Meanwhile, in Jammu, Vivrants mother Sunita Mangotra is a high school teacher who made sure her son pursued his dream single-mindedly. He has been the backbone of our family. She is one of the most strong-willed women I have ever seen. He always told me, don’t worry, just follow your dream and make sure you get there, Vivrant said.

Last year, Vivrant was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s net bowler who was picked after his J&K team senior Abdul Samad shared videos of his bowling with the team management.

I want to express my gratitude, there are so many well-wishers. But obviously it started with my friends and teammates playing in the IPL which gave me confidence. It started with Rasikh Salam, then Abdul Samad was picked before Umran Malik (a fast bowler who now plays for India) followed,” Vivrant said.

Last year I was selected as a net bowler. That went well. Just being there with top cricketers gives you enough confidence. When you train with the likes of Brian Lara, Muthiah Muralidaran and Dale Steyn, you improve as a cricketer, he said.

This year, Vivrant had a great domestic whiteball season. He scored 128 runs in four innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, batting at No.6 with an impressive strike rate of 145.45. He also picked six calling cards with an excellent economy of 6.66.

In the Vijay Hazare (50-over) Trophy, the J&K team put him at the top of the order and he scored 395 runs in eight matches, including a century and two fifties. I can bat anywhere in the top six,” Vivrant said, adding that he considers himself a decent all-rounder.

I am not a part-time bowler. I can bowl four overs in a T20 game and 10 in one-day games, he said. Right from age group cricket, I have focused on batting and bowling. In batting I have worked on power hitting and now I have the confidence to hit sixes with authority.

The lucrative IPL contract has undoubtedly made him a sought-after member of the J&K team. Abhi phone rakhta hun warna hotel ka gate tod denge Yeh log (I hung up or they [his teammates] breaks the door of my hotel room).