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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini-auction had a few massive buys with the likes of Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Ben Stokes and others going for a record-breaking price. While overseas players were in massive demand, there were few uncapped players that made headlines as well. Jammu & Kashmir's Vivrant Sharma turned out to be one such player who was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) who had plenty of spots to fill. In an exclusive chat with Sports Tak, Vivrant revealed his emotions after bagging his maiden IPL contract of Rs 2.6 crore.
“Our Ranji Trophy match was over only yesterday. I was watching the auction with my friends in my hotel room. I did not expect that I would be bought for such a price. But yes, I was hoping that someone would definitely buy me,” Vivrant said.
The 23-year-old all-rounder became SRH’s third Jammu & Kashmir player in the current squad after Abdul Samad speedster and Umran Malik. He was under the radar of SRH for a while and they outbid Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to rope him in.
“The Hyderabad staff helped me a lot last year. But apart from this, I also got help from Abdul Samad who supported me a lot. All three of us have been playing together for 7-8 years. After Samad and Malik were picked, we felt that we too can do well and if we work hard then we will also be selected,” the southpaw said.
He credited his elder brother Vikrant for his success.
“My brother played at inter-university level and I started playing cricket because of him. I batted right-handed till the sixth standard but switched to left-handed batter. Everything I have learnt about cricket is from my brother. He taught me a lot,” he said.
After doing well in Vijay Hazare 2022, Vivrant has said that he is now focused on the next season of IPL.
“It is a big stage and there will be pressure but I am ready for it. I will just try to give my best. There is a very good atmosphere at my home,” the youngster expressed.
Vivrant has scored 191 runs from eight games at an average of 23.87 and strike rate of 128.18 including two half-centuries. The leggie has also taken six wickets from three appearances with the ball including best bowling figures of 4/13. His economy rate is also an impressive 5.73 runs per over.
Vivrant feels that many in his state have the talent it takes to play the game on the big stage.
“There is a lot of talent in Jammu and everyone now wants to become a cricketer. As cricketers are going ahead, the expectations of the players here are increasing,” he concluded.
