New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) On Monday, left-arm wrist-spinner Ansh Patel could walk out at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad – a city 110 kilometres away from Vadodara, where he spent a good 12 years of his life playing and honing his cricketing skills. But instead of India’s blue shirt, Ansh will be wearing Canada’s red jersey when they open their Group D campaign against a mighty South Africa.

Ansh’s path of playing for Canada in the Men’s T20 World Cup is anything but conventional. Born in Vadodara, raised in Toronto before coming back to the city of his birth, Ansh was nurtured in India's domestic system and was even a part of the Punjab Kings side in IPL 2022.

But a regulatory shift – holding an Indian passport being made mandatory for playing domestic cricket - sent Ansh back to Canada, where he now finds himself in their T20 World Cup squad.

"For me, life's changed a lot. Five years ago, I was in Baroda and playing for the state side in the T20 format. I also got picked for the Punjab Kings squad in IPL 2022. But unfortunately, a rule change from BCCI made me move back to Canada since I have a Canadian passport."

“I've had the support from my family, friends, and the board as well. As a new player in this country, I got welcomed very well, did the hard yards in the games, performed and eventually made my international debut after moving back to Canada in June 2024.

“Then my first series for Canada was in September 2024 against Oman and Nepal and that was a very proud moment for me and my family. I can speak on behalf of any sports person, it's always a special moment to play for your country,” recalled Ansh in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Ansh’s interest in cricket began when as a six-year-old, he watched Shane Warne’s leg-spin bowling tutorial videos in Toronto, where he came as a ten-month old baby. "I just watched a YouTube video of Shane Warne bowling – like it’s one of the most iconic videos of him teaching leg spin and I just fell in love with that. I'm like, 'Yeah, cricket is there and I love bowling' and that's how I started playing the game,” he said.

Soon, Ansh was enrolled in a cricket academy in Toronto at eight, but with the realization that the city’s cricket infrastructure couldn't nurture elite-level talent, his father Pradip made an extraordinary sacrifice - abandoning a settled life in Canada to move the family to Vadodara in 2012 so that his son could pursue cricket at the highest level.

"I was 10 when my dad saw something in me and he basically quit his career for me and moved to India instantly. For me, I will say a very, very big thanks to him because it's not easy for any parent to just give up whatever you had in Canada. He was well settled, but he gave it up instantly and we moved to India because he wanted me to play for India, and that was his dream," he said.

The family's gamble also found early validation from Aunshuman Gaekwad, the former India opener who spotted an eight-year-old Ansh's talent during a trial session in Ahmedabad in 2010 and advised him to move to Vadodara when he turned ten.

"My dad contacted him and he was in Ahmedabad at that time. He was like, 'My son is a very talented player.' We then went to Ahmedabad and he saw me bowling. Luckily that day, India ex-keeper Parthiv Patel was also there. I was bowling to him and got him out. When he was keeping, I was bowling and he got confused.

“Anshuman sir said, 'Your kid has some talent.' He just told me to wait until I was like 10 or 11 so I can join and play for Baroda because I was born there and eligible to play for them right away. As soon as I turned 10, we moved back and that's how my cricket started," he said.

Ansh would go on to represent Baroda in U14, U16, U19 and U23 teams, apart from sporadic appearances for the senior side. He also attended a national U16 camp, where the likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harsh Dubey were present. His first exposure to high-level cricket came through former India wicketkeeper Kiran More, who spotted him at a club match and arranged for him to come to practice at Reliance Ground.

More would then send his bowling videos to Mumbai Indians, who called him for trials and then roped him in as a net bowler for Mumbai Indians for their IPL 2020 and 2021 campaigns. Apart from being in the same camp alongside Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, the Pandya brothers, and Kieron Pollard, Ansh even met the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, something which was a dream come true for him.

"Any cricketer who grows up in India, it's always special for him or her to meet the great cricketer - he's the God of cricket, as simple as that and I was very happy to meet him too. Learnings in MI helped me, like just to see how professional cricket is, and what it takes to be a professional player. I was really thankful for that opportunity, and that in turn helped me to make it into the Punjab Kings IPL team."

Ansh’s selection to Punjab Kings in 2022 came after then head coach Anil Kumble spotted him, leaving Pradip teary-eyed. "He saw my bowling and said, 'I'm going to pick you.' I was like, 'really?' He was like, 'Yes.' On the 2022 IPL mega auction day, I told my dad about this and he didn’t believe me. He was like, 'No, you're lying.' I'm like, 'He said this.' He was like, 'Okay, let's see.'

"Then when he finally raised the paddle for me, it was a very emotional moment. I was 20 years old in 2022 and that was a very, very proud moment for my family. My dad basically cried that day, as it was really one of his dreams coming true. He basically moved to India for this and once I got that IPL selection, he was very, very happy," he said.

Under Kumble's guidance, Patel absorbed lessons that included mental preparation and batter-specific planning. “I experienced what it takes to be a proper player - the levels of fitness, skills that are required, and mentally as well.

“It's always all even, but then it's all about how you take things mentally and how you prepare for games. Anil sir was pretty simple – just build your plans, have specific plans to batters, then just get to execute them and that was basically the mantra,” he said.

While being a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants, Ansh received an email that brought an unexpected pivot in his career. The BCCI’s mandate that being an Indian passport holder is mandatory for domestic cricket participation meant Ansh, a Canadian passport holder, couldn’t play anymore.

After getting the rule change confirmed from More and Baroda Cricket Association officials, Pradip said to Ansh that it was time to move to Canada. The timing proved to be right - Canada regained ODI status and cricket was on the rise. While Ansh’s parents still live in India and come to Canada during summer months, he has settled himself in Toronto with his brother and sister-in-law.

"My dad was like, 'There's nothing to be sad about. Let's pack our bags and move to Canada.' With Canada regaining ODI status, it was a perfect time to come back. In June 2024, my bags were packed and I was on the flight back to Toronto. Here I'm at the World Cup now. That was my dream - to represent a country in an ICC Cricket World Cup – be it 50-over or 20-over."

As a wicket-taking spinner in the middle overs, Patel's role is clearly defined, despite his lack of international experience – two ODIs and five T20Is. His years in India's domestic system provide him with a crucial edge, given Canada play games in Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Chennai.

"My job is to take wickets and the team relies on me to get those wickets in the middle overs. I'm an attacking mindset bowler. It’s simple – just look to take wickets and help the team. The Indian experience is definitely going to help me a lot because I've basically grown up here."

“We have a lot of Indian-origin people and it's been great because we all enjoy each other's company and make odd jokes with each other. It's all fun and pretty great to have such a diverse environment, and we're proud to be in this World Cup to represent Canada."

After a three-week preparation camp in Sri Lanka, where they prepped after coming out of snowy scenes at home, Canada faced defeats in warm-up clashes in Chennai. They are in a daunting Group D featuring South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan and UAE – which Ansh calls ‘the group of death.’

But after beating Ireland at the previous T20 World Cup, Canada believes they're on the rise. Ansh, who easily switches between a slightly accentuated English, Hindi and Gujarati, signed off on a philosophical perspective on the unpredictability of his cricket journey.

"From my experience, I'll just say, life's short, just give it a shot. You never know where the world will take you. I was in Baroda three years ago. Here I am sitting in a hotel, playing for Canada at the World Cup. So, life's short, just give it your best shot."

--IANS

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