Indian cricketer Raj Bawa celebrates during U19 Cricket World Cup final match between India and England. (PTI) As a kid, 19-year-old Raj Angad Bawa would often wear the then Kings XI Punjab jersey and cheer the team’s captain Adam Gilchrist and former Indian all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh. Bawa, whose five-wicket-haul made him a star for India in the final of the ICC U-19 World Cup, was picked up by Punjab Kings for two crores.
During the auction, Bawa followed the action from his hotel room in Bhubaneswar where he is quarantining ahead of the Ranji trophy campaign.
“I remember watching the home side Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a kid and would often dream about playing for it one day. I have been a fan of Adam Gilchrist and Yuvraj Singh in his earlier days, and I would cheer for the team. To be picked for the home side feels great and it’s a special feeling for me to get an opportunity to play in a tournament like IPL,” shared Bawa while talking with The Indian Express.
The left-handed batsman and right-handed medium-pacer is the grandson of Tarlochan Singh Bawa, a member of the 1948 London Olympics gold medal-winning Indian hockey team.
While his father Sukhwinder Bawa was the coach of Yuvraj Singh, Bawa started playing cricket in Gurgaon, where his father was posted as a coach.
Before the U-19 world cup, where he amassed 252 runs and took nine wickets, Bawa had smashed 68 runs and eight wickets during the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai apart from scoring 154 runs and eight wickets in U-19 Challenger Trophy.
On Sunday, Bawa, whose base price was Rs 20 lakh, saw bidding by teams like Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians before Punjab Kings made the final bid for him.
Bawa, who is expected to make his debut for Chandigarh in Ranji Trophy, will be sharing the dressing room with the likes of South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan.
“Getting the opportunity to play in the IPL after the U-19 World Cup is a special thing. To share the dressing room with players like Kagiso Rabada, who is one of the world’s best bowlers in white-ball cricket, will be a dream come true for me. I am also looking towards spending some time with Shikhar paji and other teammates. It will help me mature as a player. To be able to play in the IPL is a big thing for me. And it is the same when it comes to the Ranji Trophy. Hopefully, I will be able to give my best wherever I play and prove the faith shown by the teams in me,” shared the excited youngster.
Bawa’s father, Sukhwinder Bawa, was also following the auction from the Sector 16 Stadium, where he was training young cricketers.
“I could follow the auction during practice sessions, and it was good to see Raj Angad getting picked by Punjab Kings. Playing in IPL as well Ranji Trophy will help him to adjust his game according to the format and situations, and sharing the dressing room with international players in the IPL will further add to Raj Angad’s confidence,” said Sukhwinder.
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