The inspiring journey of India's Under-19 prodigy Kartik Tyagi
India's pace spearhead Kartik Tyagi ran all over Australia in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2020 quarter-final 1 at Potchefstroom. The 19-year-old, who ended with figures 4/24 scalped a couple of wickets in the first two overs, powering India to an emphatic 74-run victory. Let's unfurl the inspiring journey of the young seamer. Here's more on him.
A gruelling start for the talented pacer
Hailing from Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh, Tyagi was a member of a farming family. He used to carry the sacks from his father's farm. At 11, he joined a cricket academy in Meerut having already dealt with a stint of affliction alongside his father Yogendra. They couldn't even buy the required cricket equipments for Tyagi's initial training.
An early tryst with success
Having played regularly in the UP Under-14 squads, Tyagi performed magnificently in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy. His ferocious spells helped UP defeat defending champions Vidharba in the Cooch Behar Trophy in 2018-19. He was soon roped in by the UP Ranji team. "My father and I faced a lot of problems to reach here. Credit goes to my father," Kartik told ANI.
The ability to swing the ball both ways
Tyagi, who now clocks 140 kph consistently grabbed the attention of UP's selection panel. Although his debut Ranji match ended with UP's defeat, he hit the right lengths throughout to take three wickets. He also picked nine wickets in the Youth ODI series in England last year. His ability to swing the ball gave him a spot in India's Under-19 World Cup squad.
Rajasthan Royals bought Tyagi in the IPL 2020 auction
A string of exceptional performances in the domestic circuit handed Kartik the coveted IPL ticket when Rajasthan Royals procured him for Rs. 1.3 crore. A fierce bidding war between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals catapulted his price from Rs. 20 lakh to a mammoth 1.3 crore. "When I got bought by Royals, the first thing I did was call my father," he reiterated.
Tyagi would want to make most of his IPL debut
Despite his brilliant graph so far, Kartik's career was stalled for two years, owing to injury. It will be interesting to see how the RR management handles his case after injuries dented the plight of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi previously. Besides, a fuelled Tyagi would want to steal the limelight yet again as India have entered the semi-final of the ongoing tournament.
