Raj Sahni overcomes jitters at Kotla to snare five, Siddharth Joon hits ton

For 17-year-old leg-spinner Raj Kumar Sahni, the opportunity of bowling at the iconic Ferozeshah Kotla ground of the Arun Jaitley Stadium brought along with it some stage fright as he was playing here for the first time in his life and that too in the opening match of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Hot Weather League just after the association President Rohan Jaitley had announced its 2024-25 edition open.

"This was my first experience at the Kotla. I had not played even a single match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium prior to this," Sahni, who was representing Rajinder Nagar Colts and bowling leg-spin.

He came in after opponents Citizen Cricket Club had got off to a quick start, reaching 49 in eight overs though losing two wickets, in chase of 294/7 scored by Rajinder Nagar.

"I had not told anyone in my family that I was playing at the Kotla. There was no particular reason for this. I just wanted to do well and tell them. I only told my dad that I was playing a game without specifying the venue, Ferozeshah Kotla," said Raj Kumar Sahni who studied at the Salwan Boys' School till Class 10 before switching to Open schooling.

"It was a great experience, had fun. But there were some nerves when I got the ball in the ninth over. I just didn't want to bowl a bad ball. Once I ensured that, I gained confidence. Then I got my first wicket, a caught and bowled on the third ball, and that really made me forget all the nerves," said the player who idolises Hardik Pandya, the India all-rounder, for his mindset.

Siddharth Joon with his Player of the Match Award 

"Every kid dreams of playing on that pitch. The pitch was flat. I don't spin much, bowl flat and to my strength. That is what I continued doing," he said.

The next three overs didn't bring any wicket but then he got his second in his fifth over (of top-scorer Saksham Sharma for 74), which left Citizen at 107/5 and looking down and out. He then took another in the sixth over, two more in the seventh over and then one in the eighth over. Citizen folded for 160 in 32.1 overs. 

Sahni began serious cricket in 2022 as a fast bowler but then Manjeet, his coach at the Bright Cricket Club (sister club of Rajinder Nagar Colts), asked him to switch to leg-spin.

"I began playing [seriously] towards the end of 2022 under coach Rakesh Kushal at Bright Cricket Club. I used to play at 'gully-mohalla' but then stopped. I was a fast bowler to begin with, but my coach Manjeet asked me bowl leg-spin," he said.

His effort came after a quick and solid century at the top by opener Siddharth Joon (111 off 57 balls; 12x4s, 8x6s) that took Citizen to 279/7.

Sarfaraz Nawaz scored 59 off 74 balls, Ronit Berry 38. Sahni chipped in with 17.

"Joon batted really well to help us set a big target."

Tags : Raj Sahni, DDCA Hot Weather, Rohan Jaitley, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Ferozeshah Kotla, Siddharth Joon