There was a time in Praveen Kumar’s career where he gave you an impression of it was him against the world. His off-field acts made more noise than his deeds on the field.
From threatening people who were irritating Rohit Sharma with a stump in hand to a match referee terming him ‘mentally unfit’ to play the game – his career seemed to be going nowhere.
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A combination of acts off the field and injuries meant that the one time go-to man for MS Dhoni slipped out of the radar. From someone who rattled Australia in Australia to missing out on playing the 2011 World Cup, Praveen’s career had reached a point from where it was tough for him to get back into the reckoning.
The dip in form didn’t help his cause either and there was a time when he slipped into depression after bowling really well in 2011. That’s when Rohit breathed life into his career. The Mumbai Indians captain brought him into the Mumbai Indians squad after Zaheer Khan’s injury and though he played just three matches, it was the turning point Praveen desperately needed in his life.
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Suresh Raina, the Gujarat Lions captain, is playing Rohit’s role now. In the 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League, the pacer played 12 matches for just seven wickets at a far from impressive average of 47 and economy of 9.13 for Kings XI Punjab.
So what did the Gujarat franchise see in Praveen that they picked him for INR 3.5 crore from a base price of INR 50 lakhs? That’s where Raina’s role came in. The Gujarat captain played in the 2015-16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for two reasons – to get in the groove for the upcoming Twenty20 International series in Australia and handpicked players for the Gujarat franchise for this season of the Indian Premier League.
Akshdeep Nath, Amit Mishra and Praveen – all from Uttar Pradesh got into the Gujarat Lions camp. While Nath and Mishra have warmed the bench, Praveen has played a crucial role in the new franchise’s fortune.
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Sample this – first seven matches a bowler goes wicketless. What do you do? Drop him? Not if you are Raina. There’s a reason why the team has stuck with him. Praveen has played 11 matches so far in this edition for seven wickets at an average of 51.20. Not at all impressive by anyone’s standards.
However, his experience has helped him pull the team out of the rut on more than one occasion even if wickets haven’t come his way. Gujarat Lions were smashed, dead and buried in the clash against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi after Chris Morris’s onslaught. Raina throws the ball to Praveen with 18 needed off the last two overs.
He concedes just four runs and ends with figures of 13 runs from his four overs without a wicket. The Lions win that game by just one run. On Sunday (May 8), he was instrumental in hurting Kolkata Knight Riders up front. It was his first spell of 3-1-7-2 that swayed the game in the visitors’ favour and from there on the match just followed an expected script.
Praveen acknowledged that Raina has played a part in his career. “People now believe in me,” he said after the game. “Raina trusts me, my team trusts me and that’s what is important.
“There will be days where I’ll get four wickets and there will be days when I’ll get hit for 40 runs. There will also be a day when you’ll give just 12 runs from your four overs and win the game for your team. Life goes on.”
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For the moment, Praveen is happy going with the flow. During the post-match press conference he was asked if he thinks of an India comeback.
Soon after the journalist finished the question, Praveen looked down, smiled and then came up with this: “Sahi baat hai,” he said offering a smile that reflected he’s well aware of the chance he missed out on.
“I just keep it simple and focus on my performance. People keep asking me when I will make a comeback. They tell me that I’ve got it in me to make a comeback. Apna kaam hai mehnat karna (My job is to work hard). My job is to ensure that the team wins. I just want to contribute to the win.”
After the disciplinary issues in 2013, Praveen had said: “I have learnt how to control my anger. It was wrong on my part, the episode should not have happened. I regret it now.”
It looks like he meant every single word. The Praveen 2.0 we see now is playing his role to perfection, guiding the youngsters in the Gujarat Lions camp and is happy to live life to the fullest.