‘Passion will take you so far’
It’s a proverbial saying, a nugget of wisdom, and a common truth of sorts. But, try telling that to Akash Madhwal of Mumbai Indians, and he’ll probably laugh at you!
Madhwal won his maiden IPL Player of the Match award for his stellar performance in the IPL 2023 Eliminator that saw Lucknow Super Giants thrashed at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday night.
The 29-year-old from Roorkee, Uttarakhand claimed 5/5 in 3.3 overs to record the best figures ever in the history of IPL playoffs and the fifth best IPL figures.
Now where does ‘Junoon’ fit into this narrative?
Well, Madhwal has passion, loads of it and it clearly showed in his emotional expressions during his post-match presentation with Harsha Bhogle and the subsequent press conference.
Madhwal told Bhogle with unbridled emotions, “I made cricket my passion and worked hard and now I have reached here.” “I followed my passion, and when you enjoy your passion you chill(ed out),” he said later at the presser.
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So was it only passion that helped Madhwal come this far? – Absolutely not.
What makes Madhwal’s success so beautiful and even more impressive is that, in this day and age of young up-and-coming cricketers who can dissect their games like a surgeon with a scalpel, Madhwal is a simpleton who does it. Believes that it is his love for the game that has taken him this far. It’s a very simple metric.
But, passion can’t get you 13 wickets at 12.48 playing in the toughest franchise league in the world. No effort at all. It requires talent, nurture and proper support. And that’s what the Uttarakhand captain got from Mumbai Indians.
Start: Passion for Cricket
A tennis ball yorker specialist in his home state, Madhwal turned to trials conducted by the Uttarakhand Cricket Association – after the association got affiliation status in 2018. He quit engineering, a job in pursuit of his passion, even though it was a big gamble he was taking with his life.
And even though he didn’t get off to a great start, he caught on very quickly. After all he is an engineer.
“We engineers pick up on things quickly,” quips Madhwal to the engineer-turned-broadcaster Bhogle.
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Step-up: Pratibha
MI is known for this scouting – Jasprit Bumrah being a shining example. And over the years the scouts of MI have managed to unearth talent from every nook and corner of the country. Madhwal had his first taste of the IPL in 2019 as a net bowler with Royal Challengers Bangalore and was in the MI setup the following year.
“The scouting team picked me as a net bowler in the setup, they give you chances in practice matches and you have to perform, and show your potential and the team is also watching you and when you get a chance, So you have to grab it, says Madhwal.
What worked in Madhwal’s favor was his talent to bowl consistent yorkers. A very difficult art to perfect and with practically zero error percentage.
,Tennis ball only saw the yorker, which they implemented. One ball is hota of child; agar upar neeche padega toh six hi lagta hai – what I want is tennis ball and what I want here (I have learned to bowl a yorker only with a tennis ball, and that is what I apply. There is only one chance to survive; if it goes up or down, it will result in a six – that is what the tennis ball requires, and that What am I doing here)”.
Boost: Assurance
After impressing as a net bowler, Madhwal graduated to the main squad when he was added to the MI squad in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav with two games left in the season, but did not feature in a game. found. But, he was assured that next year he would be in the scheme of things.
Madhwal says of the assurance, “Last year, for the last two matches I came in as a replacement for Surya bhai when he got injured, but I got a clear message that next year I will get a chance, it will give me Was told.” from management.
The Final Piece: Opportunity
And with Bumrah ruled out for the 2023 season, MI had to draft in Madhwal to fill Bumrah’s big shoes and keep things tight at the end of the innings.
But he had to wait till MI’s eighth game for his debut cap. The five-time champions tried two uncapped left-arm pacers in Arshad Khan and Arjun Tendulkar in the first seven before going for Madhwal. He had an average of over 11 runs per over in two of his first three matches and only one wicket to show for it. After being in the XI for those games, Madhwal was relegated to the bench as a substitute for the Impact player.
Then came the Gujarat Titans game on 3 May and the opportunity he wanted to grab, he finally got it, returning 3/37 as an impact player. MI won the match with Madhwal scoring Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill and David Miller.
In the crunch game against SRH, he again put his hand up and finished with 4/37 in a 10-ball spell that included three wickets, conceding only six runs. Madhwal was particularly praised for his yorkers.
a star is born
On Wednesday, the pacer delivered the performance of a lifetime, cracking the core of LSG’s batting lineup, delivering an exceptional spell with figures of 3.3-0-5-5. And it was not just the yorkers he was doing, but Rohit Sharma had so much faith in Madhwal that he had to become Rohit’s favorite bowler, bowling with the new ball, in the middle and at the death.
My strength was the yorker and Rohit Bhaiya as captain used me where it was necessary for the team. In the nets, I bowled well with the new ball and took wickets in practice matches as well and he started handing me the new ball and wherever there was the confidence to use it, I have proved it,” Madhwal said. Enjoyed support from his captain.
However, the work is not done yet and Madhwal is confident of taking his team to its sixth title. Yet he is not thinking too far ahead. Bhogle tried to trap him by drawing comparisons with Bumrah, but he did not fall for it and said in a very simple tone, ‘The team has given me the responsibility (death bowling), not that I can take it. Bumrah’s place, but I am trying to do my best.
,Mr. Bumrah,
Madhwal has passion, talent and the right support… but more importantly, he has humility – and maybe all of this together will take him further than passion alone!