The talented young pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti made headlines with his amazing pace during the U-19 World Cup. While he was considered as one of the best in the business in age-group cricket, injury has affected his growth a lot.
In a recent chat with Sportskeeda, the youngster revealed the role of Rahul Dravid in his career, his IPL tenure with KKR and much more as well. He also opened up about his childhood coach who had played a key role in his career. “From my early days itself, when I used to bowl with the tennis ball, I used to bowl really fast. Everyone wanted me on their team and batsmen used to find it difficult to negotiate my pace. Gradually, I started bowling with the leather ball too,” Kamlesh Nagarkoti said.
He continued: “Everyone has a dream to play for the country. So when I had played U14, U16, and the U19 World Cup for India, my aim was to perform wherever I would get the opportunity. I was ready to adapt and build my game according to the changing demands of the game. My coach always told me that more than pace, line and length is more important and I always focus on that.”
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However, the 2018 U19 World Cup win under the captaincy of Prithvi Shaw had a huge impact not only on his career but also on others. Among them, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill have impressed everyone already. While Shaw will tour Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series, Gill is currently in England for the upcoming ICC WorldTest Championship final against New Zealand and a five-match Test series against England as well.
However, he also revealed how the coach of the Indian U19 and the A team, Rahul Dravid has helped him during his injury time when he was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The batting legend’s words of wisdom have helped him to stay motivated in his troubled time as well. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him after his splendid show in the U19 World Cup. But injury issues kept him away from the two full IPL seasons.
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He recalled: “When I was injured after the IPL, I was really disappointed. But my other coaches and Dravid sir always tried to motivate me. In NCA, whenever I used to meet Dravid sir, he used to make me understand that such situations occur in the lives of many athletes. But it’s important how you motivate yourself and come out of the phase stronger. His words really fired me up and helped me improve as a bowler.”
However, with the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume in the UAE in September-October, Kamlesh Nagarkoti is likely to showcase his ability in the cash-rich league as well.
