After Vijay Hazare high, Himachal hero Shubham Arora hopes for IPL windfall
Led by Shubham Arora’s unbeaten ton, Himachal Pradesh beat a star-studded Tamil Nadu to be crowned national 50-over champions.
After lifting their elusive Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, the spirited Himachal Pradesh senior men’s team broke into ‘nati’— the delightful folk dance of the hills. The occasion, after all, demanded a special celebration.
Led by all-rounder Rishi Dhawan, Himachal Pradesh won the final by 11 runs via VJD method. Opener Shubham Arora starred with an unbeaten 136 runs off 131 balls to set up his team’s pursuit of TN’s 314 runs.
“It was a good wicket to bat on and I knew if I could bat through 50 overs, we could chase their total and win. That belief kept me going and I am happy that playing in my first Vijay Hazare Trophy, I was able to do well for my team,” said Shubham, who is also a wicketkeeper and replaced the experienced Ankush Bains in the team.
Hailing from Delhi, Shubham shifted to Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh when he was 13. He missed the bus for the Prithvi Shaw-led U-19 team that clinched the World Cup in New Zealand in 2018 as he had just got overage.
“Shubham was consistently doing well at the junior level. He scored a hundred in his first U-19 match for the state. So, he had promise and talent,” said Himachal coach Anuj Pal Das Das, who was then state’s U-19 coach.
Himachal Pradesh’s fine season started when they won JP Atray memorial cricket tournament in Mohali ahead of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they went out in the pre-quarters after losing to Kerala.
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed, they beat Services in the semi-final and defeated Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-final, before stunning TN in the final.
“We knew we had a good bunch. Moving on from Syed Mushtaq Ali, we set our eyes on Vijay Hazare Trophy. We took one game at one time and just stuck to the basics,” said the 24-year-old who idolises Australian great Adam Gilchrist and is excited for the upcoming IPL auction.
“IPL is a great platform. I will be thrilled to get a contract in IPL 2022 and show my skills in the T20 format. Rishi Dhawan and Prashant Chopra have played in the IPL from Himachal. I too want to play the league,” said Shubham.
Not only were the victorious team and its coach elated for bagging the title, they were also happy for making the former Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) chief and current sports minister of India, Anurag Thakur’s, wish come true.
Thakur is the brain behind HPCA’s cricket infrastructure and has been actively involved in planning and strategising for two decades. He and BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal were in touch with the coach and the state association this season too and wanted them to clinch the title.
“Anurag has been instrumental in shaping up HPCA. Under his leadership, the state association grew by leaps and bounds. His vision saw an international stadium build in Dharamsala in 2003. He always wanted titles. I am thrilled that the senior men’s team could do it,” said Das, who has also represented the state in Ranji Trophy and is a BCCI qualified level III coach.
