New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) A few years ago, Rajneesh Dadar was on the verge of quitting cricket, with his family struggling financially and pressure on him to work alongside his father. Today, the 23-year-old fast bowler is one of the brightest prospects in the Delhi men’s U23 team.

The right-arm pacer returned figures of 6-43 from 13.4 overs against Gujarat in the opening round of the Col C.K. Nayudu Trophy, as he set the base for Delhi taking the first-innings lead in a rain-curtailed game at the St Stephen's College Ground.

"Obviously, I'm feeling good. The team has won (by taking the first innings lead) and I've performed well as well. So I'm feeling good about it," Dadar said in an exclusive chat with IANS on Friday.

With the first day washed out due to rain, Dadar said the hosts were determined to make the most of the remaining time at their home ground, with the players bringing plenty of energy and every wicket pushing them closer to taking the first innings lead.

Raised in Jahangirpuri, Dadar learnt the game playing tennis-ball cricket in his neighbourhood before joining Ravinder Cricket Academy under coach Shekhar Sharma. He wanted to be a fast bowler from the start, but the cost of the sport soon became a hurdle.

"I come from a normal family. My father was the only earning member. Apart from that, it was quite difficult. The game was getting expensive, and Shekhar sir helped me a lot. He saw that I was a good boy who could do well in the game, and he helped me a lot in the beginning," he recalled.

Sharma paid for everything from academy fees and tournament entries to his shoes and kit bags, and also supported his studies through open school, making sure the youngster stayed in the game. Apart from the academy, Dadar has turned out in DDCA league games for Yorks Cricket Club, where Sharma is secretary.

Sharma recalled how Dadar first came to his notice through a senior player at the academy who lived in his neighbourhood, and whose word made the coach take the youngster seriously.

"I've never seen Rajneesh play as a kid. I had a senior player at my academy. He'd come to play and say, 'Sir, there's a boy who's good at tennis. He's a very accurate bowler. No one beats him, as per the language we speak in.' I said, 'What are you trying to say?' He said, 'You should take him in, but he won't be able to pay the fees.' I said, 'He can bowl in the nets, right? He can give me that.’

“So, I called him to my academy and had him bowl in the nets. He was a very accurate bowler, and I asked if his parents would come. He said, 'No, sir, my parents won't be able to come. I'll do whatever you tell me to do.' I would tell him to come at 2 o'clock. He used to do all of his improvements at the academy. I thought, this boy is serious about cricket, as he would come on time, and then I started paying more attention to him."

The toughest phase came during Dadar's early years. With four or five children at home and a single breadwinner, his family wanted him to give up the game and help his father. To keep him going without hurting his pride, Sharma gave him errands such as delivering couriers at night and paid him for the work, so the help never felt like charity.

"There was a time when he didn't play anything, and his family would tell him to give up on playing cricket. So, I told them to have faith in me and not let him leave cricket, as he will definitely play at a higher level," said Sharma.

For years, Dadar stayed on the fringes. Despite regular four- and five-wicket hauls in local tournaments, he was a stand-by in Delhi's Under-16, Under-19 and Under-23 squads, and was among the Under-23 probables in 2023-24 and 2024-25. But the Delhi Premier League (DPL) changed that.

After a promising debut season with Central Delhi Kings, in which he took 11 wickets in nine games, he was bought by Purani Dilli 6 for Rs 19 lakh in Category C against a base price of Rs 1 lakh. He repaid that faith by taking 19 wickets and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker of the second edition.

In this year’s DPL, Dadar took 15 scalps and was the sixth-best wicket-taker. "DPL is the best league after IPL in India. The entire country watches, as do the scouting members of the IPL teams. Nothing can be bigger than that for me. I was picked for the state team because of the DPL. It's a very helpful thing for my career," he said.

He took 18 wickets in four matches in his first state season, and finished with 25 wickets in eight games across the C K Nayudu and State A Trophy. Now taking the six-for against Gujarat had given him a big confidence boost for the season ahead.

The DPL also opened doors for Dadar to get IPL exposure. While he was with Purani Dilli 6, current Delhi senior men’s head coach Vijay Dahiya took him to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) camp, and he later travelled with Gujarat Titans as a net bowler during IPL 2026.

"(Mohammed) Siraj and Prasidh (Krishna) were the senior bowlers there. I learnt a lot from them. Hopefully, I will be able to apply all of them in the future. Siraj used to tell me to focus on my work ethic and my basics," he said.

Sharma said bowling alongside senior professionals made Dadar realise they were no different from him, which lifted his confidence. He noted that all six of his victims against Gujarat in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy were top-order batters, a sign of his accuracy and penchant to take big scalps.

Dadar, who struck a fifty on his state debut last season, does not want to be seen as just a bowler. "I try to contribute to the team as much as I can. Fielding is a very important part of the game. It's not like you are a fast bowler and will only do bowling. You have to stay in the game because of your fielding, as it's a very important aspect of the game."

His batting developed almost by accident. During Under-16 and Under-19 camps, Sharma limited his bowling at the academy to save his energy for state duty and let him bat instead. Dadar took to it, and the coach soon began using him as an opener in local tournaments.

Dadar admitted that switching from white-ball to red-ball cricket takes some adjustment, but said bowling long spells during the state camp helped. With a packed calendar running from the IPL to the DPL and domestic cricket, he follows a fitness programme with his trainer to stay injury-free.

Sharma, who also praised his protégé’s calm temperament, hopes to see him in the Ranji Trophy soon and is confident the best is yet to come. "It was his fate to play cricket. He wanted to play, and he was good. If he wasn't good, I wouldn't have been able to think so much about him. So, he is good now and will be better in the future too. He will play for Delhi and hopefully for his country."

For Dadar, the targets are clear, and with a strong start to the season, the future looks bright for him. "My main goal is to play for India. Right now, I also want to play and do well in U23 matches and make my place in the Delhi Ranji Trophy team. My family and my coach feel proud of me whenever I do well. I hope to continue to make them proud," he concluded.

--IANS

nr/bsk/