Gathering pace

Rajasthan Royals’ quick Kuldeep Sen has seen many ups and downs, and does not take his current success for granted

- POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL AND SRAVANI SARKAR

This Mother’s Day, Rajasthan Royals posted a video that got north of two lakh likes and more than a thousand comments on Instagram. In it, a joyful Kuldeep Sen, one of the team’s quicks, dials his mother in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, and tells her, “I love you, Mumma”. After a brief pause followed by hearty laughter, she responds, “Love you, too!” in a desi accent. “This is the first time I have said I love you to my mother. It felt very nice,” says a moist-eyed Sen.

The video gives a glimpse of Sen’s roots, and the journey from a wide-eyed teen to IPL bowler. In his limited games, Sen has bailed RR out of some sticky situations. In his debut IPL match, against Lucknow Super Giants, Sen defended 15 in the last over; he bowled three dots against the Aussie power-hitter Marcus Stoinis. A few days later, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he took four wickets and kept his calm at the death. Former England captain Michael Vaughan called him the best debutant of the 2022 season, saying, “[He] takes the cake among his contemporaries because of the pressure overs he bowls.”

For Sen, the need to prove himself came naturally. It was developed in his teens, when he could not break into the Madhya Pradesh U16 team. “Growing up in a household with limited means and unlimited dreams makes you want to prove yourself at all times,” the 25-year-old tells THE WEEK on a video call. “Seeking validation becomes a way of life. In that sense, life itself has been the biggest teacher.”