NEW DELHI: If Praful Hinge grabbed the limelight with his new-ball spell for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, his new-ball partner Sakib Hussain grabbed everyone’s attention towards the end of Rajasthan Royals’ innings.Sakib finished with figures of 4/24, matching the best bowling performance by an Indian on IPL debut, as his slow off-cutters did the trick.
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Varun Aaron on Praful Hinge’s dream IPL debut and team’s fearless approach “This fearless prodigy Sakib Hussain looks very talented. He got the big wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal with the new ball at the start of the chase. Later he showed his ability to bowl with the slow batsman and his ability to nail them all surprised. His slower delivery gave Mustafizur Rahman the vibes,” and he feels like New Zealand’s version of right fielder Mustafizur Rahman. McClenaghan said later.If the IPL propelled Sakib to the big stage, there was a time when he found it difficult to even have two meals a day. Hailing from the Gopalganj district of Bihar, Sakib’s story of playing cricket at the highest level is stripped down to the bare essentials and based on survival. “Khone ke liye to kuch nahi hai, paane ke liye bas yehi hai. Jo karna hai so yehi karenge (I have nothing to lose and all I have to gain is this… so I will continue to do it and give my best),” says Sakib.Sakiba’s childhood was unforgiving. A pair of spikes wasn’t just equipment; it was a choice between sport and livelihood. “Spikes jo aata hai wo Rs 10,000-15,000 ka aata hai. Joota lenge to khaayenge kahan se? (Cricket spikes cost between Rs 10,000-15,000. If my father bought me spikes, then where will we be able to eat Sakib.)Sakib’s mother, Subuktara Khatoon, recalls the moment she had to make a difficult choice.“One day Sakib came to me and said, ‘Mum, I don’t have spikes. How will I be able to continue playing cricket?’ I didn’t have the money needed to buy the spikes. I had to sell my jewelery to buy him spikes,” she said.Sakib’s father Ali Ahmed Hussain, a farmer, had to stop working after injuring his knee, leaving the family in dire straits. With limited resources, it was difficult to afford even basic necessities.“I felt sick, after which it was difficult to manage even one large meal,” Ali Ahmed recalled. So cricket was not an indulgence; it was a gamble.“He works very hard. That’s why we decided to play cards with him,” his father said. “It wasn’t just hope, it was a calculated risk.In his debut match, they entrusted him with bowling in the power overs as well as in the death overs. This trust did not come easily. This is perhaps why Sakib’s relationship with pace feels less like a talent and more like a responsibility.“Now I’m able to reach north of 140 km/h. Next season I’m sure I’ll be able to break the 150 km/h mark,” he said.
