Once rejected by Delhi, Vanshaj Sharma returns to haunt them with 6/68

New Delhi: Vanshaj Sharma, who learnt his cricket in Delhi and studied in the Bal Bhavan International School at Dwarka alongside Delhi players Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull and Dev Lakra, sharing not just the classroom with them but also nets, turned out to be Delhi’s nemesis on Monday afternoon as he ran through them to leave Jammu and Kashmir on the cusp of their first-ever Ranji Trophy win over Delhi.

Vanshaj picked 6/68 as Delhi, who were 244/3 at one stage collapsed to 277 all out and set for J&K an easy chase of 179. J&K had licked away 55 off those runs for the loss of two wickets and they now need just 124 on the final day.

At the Ferozeshah Kotla ground, when Vanshaj got rid of Hrithik Shokeen, to whom he had bowled and from whom he had faced countless overs at the Bal Bhavan Academy, his coach Rajesh Nagar was nonplussed. 

“I just don’t know how to react. Should I be happy or sad? Both are my students and Delhi is my home,” said Nagar.

It was Nagar who had encouraged him to go for the Delhi under-14 trials in around 2016-17.

Unfortunately, the boy, who is now 22 and stands 6’2” tall was not shortlisted by Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) selectors.

“I made him try from Jammu and Kashmir, from where he hails. Vanshaj then began playing all his age-group cricket from J&K and progressed to the senior team,” says Nagar.

Vanshaj still practices at the Bal Bhavan Cricket Academy and shuttles between Delhi and J&K.

Vanshaj Sharma (second from right) with Rajesh Nagar (third from left) and others

The left-arm spinner was born in Jammu in 2003 but in 2010, his mother, who worked with the National Insurance Company, was promoted and the family shifted to Delhi. His father was in defence and away. Sometimes, Arpit Rana’s father Ramesh would act as a guiding hand.

“We moved to the Capital in 2010 and after trying a couple of schools – Shiksha Bharati and St Martin who did not support his game – we put him in Bal Bhavan where he studied and trained alongside Yash Dhull, Arpit Rana and Dev Lakra,” says mother Sangeeta Sharma. 

“He took up cricket when he was about 9 or 10 and was always focussed on becoming a left-arm spinner,” she added.

Sangeeta is in Jammu at the moment and wasn’t at the ground to witness her son’s feat that will likely give J&K their first-ever win over Delhi.

Vanshaj started the day not on a great note. He struggled to get it right as his classmate and academy-mate Arpit handled him well.

The Delhi opening pair Arpit Rana (43 off 89) and Sanat Sangwan (34 off 89) batted solidly and added 86 for the first wicket, bringing Delhi 13 closer to the 99-run deficit.

The in-form Sangwan had got a life when at 30 he was dropped by wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. The J&K score was 74 then. But 12 runs later, Vanshaj had Sangwan caught at slip by Abdul Samad.

Soon Rana, who was batting smoothly, was deceived by one from off-spinner Sahil Lotra that turned sharply and rattled his off-stump while he had gone down and forward to meet the ball.

Delhi had lost two wickets on 86 and were still 13 runs behind.

Vanshaj around the time he came to Delhi

It was left to skipper Ayush Badoni and Yash Dhull, two of the brightest batting talents in Delhi to rescue the team.

Dhull went on the offensive to parry. He dabbed one from Lotra, in the 32nd over, past slip to third man fence and then played an inside out shot over cover. That brought Delhi close to clearing the deficit.

Years of knowing Vanshaj allowed him to take toll on the left-armer in the next over.

Dhull used a late cut to fetch a boundary past point, then straight drove one to fence and then dabbed another late cut to yank three boundaries from Vanshaj’s one over. He had moved to 25 off 15 in little time and Delhi were 116/2. A drive from Dhull through mid-wicket against the spin of Vanshaj in the bowler’s next over was as perfect as it could get and fetched not just a boundary but also forced a fielder to move back.

Delhi went to lunch at 123/2, and Dhull’s quick knock had put the pressure back on J&K.

Badoni joined in post lunch and hit two fours – including an inside out – off Vanshaj.

The captain Paras Dogra was forced to bring on left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, who obliged with an armer that forced Dhull to play on his attempted dab to his stumps. Like many times in the past, Dhull again squandered a great start.

Ayush Doseja walked in and clobbered a six over long on off Vanshaj and then slog swept Mushtaq to deep mid-wicket for another six. Delhi moved to 150 and then went past 200. Ayush Badoni continued his fine form, milking runs and scoring boundaries.

The idea was perhaps to get a 250-run lead and bowl out J&K in the fourth innings to yank full points. Badoni also hit a six straight down the ground.

Both Badoni and Doseja were scoring at a good pace, and added 107 for the fourth wicket before a slog sweep by the Delhi skipper was held at deep square leg off Vanshaj by a diving Vivrant Sharma. The catch surprised Badoni and everyone around.

This was the beginning of Vanshaj’s potential match-turning spell.

Two balls later, Vanshaj had Sumit Mathur who went against his dour style and tried to hit out, instead top-edging the accurate bowler to point.

Delhi were suddenly 244/5 and went to tea at 258/5.

There were still Ayush Doseja and Anuj Rawat at the crease.

But post tea, the Delhi team faltered. Rawat fell to Lotra, who held the ball back. Rawat tried to move down but got an inside edge and was caught well at short leg by substitute Yawer Hassan.

Vanshaj then scalped two in the innings’ 68th over. Hrithik Shokeen scooped one back to the bowler in trying to go on the attack and then a perfect arm ball went past Simarjeet. After Ayush Doseja, who batted smartly for his 62, missed his wild hit to be bowled by Lotra (3/73), Money Grewal was bowled Vanshaj to finish matters for Delhi.

J&K began aggressively with Qamran Iqbal taking boundaries off Simarjeet. Simarjeet didn’t only concede fours off bat but also, on a couple of occasions, bowled way down the leg-side to give two boundaries through byes.   

Delhi managed to get rid of Shubham Khajuria, who was bowled by a Manan Bhardwaj arm ball, and Vivrant Sharma, who was beaten past his outside edge to be bowled by Hrithik Shokeen. But nightwatchman Vanshaj held on with Iqbal to see the team through to stumps without further damage.

Tags : Ranji Trophy, Vanshaj Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Delhi, J&K