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Budding cricketer
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Young Siva Kumar is all set to make it big
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Hero’s welcome D. Siva Kumar getting a rousing reception on return after winning the Under-19 World Cup in Kaula Lumpur
His mother has a strong sentiment that every team that his son plays for will win. It came true always and the ICC under-19 World Cup final is not an exception. India regained the title at Kuala Lumpur beating South Africa in the final winning every match in the competition.
This was what an extremely happy Ramani, mother of D. Siva Kumar said while recounting with her husband Rama Rao, Secretary of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, how her son made the progress over the years and the adulation her son received when he returned home from Kuala Lumpur with a gold medal and fat cheque for Rs. 15 lakhs. Siva Kumar started playing cricket seven years ago. A good medium pacer and a good middle order bat, Siva Kumar represented the district and went on to play for Andhra in the junior age groups and led Andhra in the under-19 South Zone tournament.
His talent put him in the South Zone team and good performance there earned him a place in the Indian team that toured South Africa for a tri-series with Bangladesh.
He was declared Man of the Match twice in the tri-series and in the final against Bangladesh he did a Miandad, hitting a six off the last ball to score the required six runs for victory and a place in the Indian team for the under-19 World Cup is assured for the Visakhapatnam youngster who just completed 17 years.
Siva Kumar is little bit disappointed that he could not play many matches in Kuala Lumpur. “There are many seniors in the team who played in one or two (junior age group) World Cups in the past and the team management did not want to disturb a winning combination. There are also players like Mukund who have not played a single match,” he said. But in the two initial league matches, Siva Kumar made his presence felt. Against New Zealand he scored 18 runs and picked up a wicket and against England hit 21 runs and claimed a wicket.
Siva Kumar said that it was bad luck that the team could not score a big total against South Africa in the final. Siva Kumar said coach Dave Whatmore encouraged the boys a lot. Through out the tournament the planning was good and positive aspects of the players were only stressed, he said. For the Vizag youngster who is inspired by Sachin Tendulkar and Y. Venugopala Rao, the ambition is to play for India in the senior level.
Siva Kumar is one of the three players selected by the Andhra Cricket Association for a training stint at the Brisbane Cricket Academy. He is at present doing B.Com. first year in Dr. L. Bullayya College, Visakhapatnam.
G. NARASIMHA RAO
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