SRH spinner Shivang Kumar during IPL 2026. (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: “I have to take the Shramjeevi Express to Patna. The train leaves in an hour from Platform 8. I can give you 10 minutes,” says Praveen Kumar, who works as a Chief Ticket Inspector (CIT) with Indian Railways.Praveen, a former Bengal U-19 cricketer, has worked for the Indian Railways for the past 34 years and played a key role in shaping his son Shivang Kumar’s cricketing career. Shivang is currently donning the Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He picked six wickets from eight matches with best figures of 3/33 against Punjab Kings on 11 April.
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Varun Aaron on team performance and key moments“When he was around eight, a saint in Vrindavan predicted that he would fulfill my unfulfilled dreams. He would become a top cricketer. I thought the man wanted money. I tried to give him Rs 50, but he refused and said, ‘Aapka naam raushan karega ye ladka (you will be proud of this boy)’,” recalls Praveen and Kumara on a trip to the family.The prophecy has come true and Shivang is indeed making his father proud.“I have been taking him to the stadium since he was five. I took both my sons (Shivang and Devang). I never forced them, but I prayed that the cricket gods who were cruel to me would let me live my dream through my sons. It’s all God’s plan,” says Kumar.
File photo of father of Shivang Kumar Praveen, former Bengal U-19 cricketer. (photo by special arrangement)
Praveen vividly remembers how after playing for Bengal U-19, when his name came up among the Ranji Trophy probables, he returned home to Moradabad to seek his parents’ blessings, but fate had something else in store for him.“I was offered a job with the railways under the sports quota. Meri maa ne kaha ki main bhari thaali mein laat maar raha hoon (My mother said I was ungrateful). I took the job and quit cricket,” he says.But two months ago, when Shivang was offered a job with the railways, he took a stand. “Maine bola goli maaro naukari ko aur cricket pe dhyan do (I told him to forget about work and focus on cricket).”Random spinnerAbout a year ago, Praveen had another serious conversation with his son and told him that as a batsman, he would not have been selected for Madhya Pradesh, let alone the IPL or Team India. The reality check shook young Shivanga, but he trusted his father’s plan.Interestingly, Shivang was the top batsman until last year and his exploits for Bhopal Leopards in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League put him in the limelight. But it was his left-arm wrist spin that added more value to his profile and he was picked as Bundelkhand Bulls’ all-rounder for Rs 13 crore in the 2026 season.IPL franchises Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad called him for trials. He went on to play List A and T20 cricket for Madhya Pradesh. He took ten wickets in three List A matches, including five against a strong Karnataka side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scalped eight wickets in as many matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and impressed everyone with his guile. Shivang was then picked by SRH in the IPL auction.
Shivang Kumar during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad. (PTI photo)
“It was an evening and I was having tea with him in our backyard in Moradabad. I told him he would have to do something out of the box. He was a left-arm spinner and an opener. The opening slot is packed in state and IPL teams and the way the pitches are set up these days, his left-arm spin was useless. I gave him the ball and asked him to leave me the ball spinner alone. I showed him the grip for the googly and the break legs, he executed it perfectly,” recalls Kumar.Father and son immediately went to the nearest stadium where Shivang bowled while Praveen shot videos. After analyzing them, Praveen became convinced that his son could reach the highest level, but there was a catch.“The spin on the ball was amazing. The false start was excellent. I told him that if he works according to the plan I outline for him, he will have a great career. For the next three months, he bowled 25 overs a day on one stump and he was ready,” says Praveen. During the MPL, when Shivang joined Bhopal Leopards, their coach Devendra Bundela, who selected Shivang to bat, was impressed by his wrist spin.“I instructed him that no matter how many runs he concedes in the MPL, he will aim with his wrist. It was a miracle. I still can’t believe it. Shivang was always the opening batsman. What a transformation he has undergone,” says Bundela, the former Madhya Pradesh captain who played 164 first-class matches.Touch by MS Dhoni
Shivang Kumar (R) with his father Praveen. (photo by special arrangement)
Growing up, like most athletes, things were not easy for Shivang. At the age of 13, he decided to retire from cricket after not being selected for the Uttar Pradesh U-14 and U-16 sides in trials held at the Kamla Club in Kanpur. Dejected, Shivang asked his father to pack his cricket kit and put it in storage as he wanted to concentrate on his studies.“Yeh U-14, U-16 ke chakkar mein marks kam aa rahe hain, cricket ab rehne dete hain. Padh leta hoon, shayad kuch ban jaun (I’m getting bad marks because of all this U-14 and U-16 cricket. I think I should focus on Kumar now.) “Maybe I’ll become something.”“I didn’t want to force him either, so I put up with it.A year later, Shivang went to watch MS Dhoni’s biopic in a theater with his friends. “He came back and said, “Dad, lagta hai badi jaldi haar maan gaye (I think I gave up too soon),” a rejuvenated Shivang told his father.Praveen also watched the movie the next day.“After watching it, I came out in tears. I remembered my days when I used to travel in an ordinary compartment for a day to reach Kolkata. It made me emotional. I came home and told him to pack his bags and gear as we were leaving for Gwalior the next morning,” he says.
Shivanga Kumar’s father Praveen is a Chief Ticket Inspector (CIT) in the Indian Railways. (photo by special arrangement)
Praveen took Shivang to Tansen Cricket Academy in Gwalior where the coach needed an opening partner for the U-16 tournament in Bhopal.“Shivang’s opening partner was Priyansh Arya,” laughs Praveen. “Priyansh gave 180 and Shivang 160 in that match,” he adds.Since then, Shivang never looked back and neither did his father. Praveen has yet to watch his son play live at the stadium, but he has no worries.“My first duty is with Indian Railways. It has given me everything. If I get leave, I will go and watch him play. Until then, I have more serious duties on my shoulders,” he signed off with the Shramjeevi Express, which is still due to leave Platform 8 in 45 minutes.
