140 kmph, Rs 21.5 lakh and a dream: Shubham Gautam’s rise from Narora

NEW DELHI: Shubham Gautam hails from Narora, a town situated on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district. Narora is famous for its nuclear power plant operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).At the NPCIL campus, Ankit Kumar Rajput runs a cricket academy where he first noticed Shubham Gautam, the fast bowler who won the speed chase organized by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) earlier this year and became one of the most expensive players in the UPT20 league when Noida Kings roped him in for Rs 21.50 lakh.“He always had such a good athletic body. He came to our academy when he was 14 and from that age you could feel that the boy was different from others,” Rajput, Gautam’s coach, told TimesofIndia.com.Rajput says it is not easy for a cricketer to escape from Narora and Shubham is an anomaly.“It is one of the most backward areas of Uttar Pradesh. As far as cricket is concerned, you don’t see anyone taking up the sport once he passes the Class XII boards. Shubham was different. He was selected for the UP U-19 camps several times. It was only because he never made the cuts but he was very serious about pursuing his cricket. To be able to chase someone from cricket. to play cricket at a professional level, one needs to be special and that is,” says the proud coach.

Shubham Gautam with his coach Ankit Kumar Rajput at their academy in Narora, Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh.

Gautam, 21, is yet to set the Uttar Pradesh T20 League on fire. The playing XI combination hasn’t helped him as he has only featured in four matches so far, but he consistently broke the 140 km/h mark in the 12 overs he bowled in the tournament.

He always had such a good athletic body. He came to our academy when he was 14 years old, and from that age it was felt that the boy was different from the others.

Ankit Kumar Rajput

But it is not a big problem for Gautam as he always had to wait for his chances.“I have played district cricket but never played for Uttar Pradesh at the age group level. I used to play tennis ball cricket and in 2017 I started playing with a leather ball. Every year I made it to the last round of trials but this time I tried harder. That helped me get this opportunity,” he tells the website of his journey.“My father is a farmer and farming is not easy these days. But he always supported my dream and I think being the youngest of four siblings helped,” he says.A windfall in the UPT20 auction changed Gautam’s fortunes.“I never imagined that I would go to the auction for such a high amount. I was tired and sleeping when the auction was going on and then I got to know. To be honest, I was a bit emotional,” says Gautam, who adores Jofra Archer.For Gautam, bowling fast and making the batsmen dance to his tunes with his length is something he values ​​the most.“Jofra Archer is the fast bowler who inspires me the most,” he says.“My strength is my pace, but I’ve also learned to hit the right lengths. I saw in the UPT20 that if you miss your length, batsmen can hit the ball from one place and send it down the ground from another,” he adds.It’s been a lot of firsts for Gautam lately.“Earlier, I only played day-night matches in private tournaments. I have never played in a league like this. My focus is to perform well in these matches. If I perform well here, it will help me in the future. My next goal is to play for Uttar Pradesh,” he says.Back in Narora, Ankit Kumar Rajput, who has seen Gautam’s rise first-hand, says his charge playing in the UP League has boosted the number of players in his academy.“Narora now has a cricket hero,” laughs Rajput.Ankit shares an interesting story about Gautam that speaks volumes about the individual that the young man is.“He never had a phone. He got his first one two years ago and that too in the Aligarh tournament where he was the best bowler. He has always been a cheater and you will hear a lot about him in the future,” he says.