The 23-year-old Odisha left-arm spinner Pappu Roy is ready to make his Deodhar Trophy debut soon but his long continuous fighting life-story can give us some hint about his hard journey to this level.
According to PTI, his parents, Jamdar Ray and Parvati Devi, both were from Bihar who lost their lives at his early stage. His father Jamdar Ray was a truck driver who died in a heart-attack while his mother Parvati Devi lost her life after a long fight against illness.
His parents had come to Kolkata in search of work. Pappu presently lives in a rented home in Kolkata’s Picnic Garden.
Talking about his parents, Pappu told PTI, “Unko (parents) kabhi dekha nahin… Kabhi gaon gaya nahin, khali suna hai (Never seen them nor have I been anytime to my native. I’ve only heard about them).”
Recently, in the 2018/19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, the left-arm spinner made his professional cricket debut and impressed with his bowling ability. Playing eight List A games all for Odisha, Pappu has taken 14 wickets.
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Through his brilliant performances, Pappu has been selected in India C team for the 2018/19 Deodhar Trophy, which will be led by Ajinkya Rahane.
After getting selected in the upcoming Deodhar Trophy, starting from this Tuesday (October 23), Pappu emotionally said, “Wish they were here today to see me playing for India C. I could not sleep whole night yesterday and kept crying. I think my years and years of hardwork is finally paying off now.”
After his parents’ demise, his uncle and aunt took care of him. But once his uncle died, who was a daily labour, Pappu found hard to arrange at least one meal in a day. In that early life, he earned his food after taking wickets in the local cricket.
Talking about his hard early life, the left-arm spinner said, “Bhaiya log bulate the aur bolte the ball dalega toh khana khilaoonga. Aur har wicket ka 10 rupaiya dete the. (Seniors in my locality used to summon me to bowl and gave me Rs 10 per wicket),”
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Initially, Pappu was a pacer but the Howrah Union Cricket Academy coach Sujit Saha advised him to turn up as a left-arm spinner. In CAB’s second division league in 2011, Pappu was the highest wicket-taker with 50 wickets in nine games for Dalhousie.
But due to finding very tough to earn a place in the Bengal cricket team, Pappu decided to move while his friends, Muzaqir Ali Khan and Asif Iqbal Khan, helped him by providing food and shelter.
Pappu said on that, “My friends (Muzaqir Ali Khan and Asif Iqbal Khan) whom I met here told me they would provide me food and shelter. So Odisha became my home.”
He got his first break in 2015 when he was selected for the Odisha U-23 team.
Talking about that time, Pappu said, “There was a U-23 state team trial in Cuttack and my friends told me you will be picked if selector Suresh Kumar sir watches you bowl. It was only during the third match Suresh sir came and I was selected.”
Since his List A debut against Andhra, the young left-arm spinner has impressed very much. In that debutant match, Pappu (2/16) took two wickets in two successive balls after dismissing Hanuma Vihari and Ricky Bhui but failed to claim his hat-trick.
He said on that, “I missed the hattrick but grew in confidence from then on and the teammates supported me fully.”
Pappu is hopeful to get a chance in the upcoming Deodhar Trophy where he is desperate to give his best.
He said for the upcoming List A tournament, “Hopefully, I will get a chance and I will give my best. It will be a great learning experience.”
