REX SINGH-THE TEENAGE PRODIGY FROM MANIPUR

On 11 December 2018, an 18-year-old cricketer from Manipur took 10 wickets in an innings, making the headlines and taking the Indian cricket by storm by achieving this rare feat.

- Jnan Jyoti Deka

The young lad, who dismantled the opponents in the match almost single-handedly was Rajkumar Rex Singh, a left-arm fast bowler from Manipur. His ability to swing the ball accompanied by the perfect yorkers makes him a bowler with unplayable tricks up his sleeves. And since that performance, Rex has got all the attention he deserves.

Born in a family plagued with economic hardships, Rex’s cricketing journey in his childhood was not a smooth one. But he continued to work towards his goal and finally played his first under-14 game in 2014-15. He even had to skip his class 12 examinations in 2017 as he was playing in Affiliates and Associates tournament.

But his hard work alone would not have led him forward in his journey as Manipur was not a participant in the Indian domestic cricket tournaments at the highest level. It was only in 2017 when the Committee of Administrators (CoA) decided to include the North-Eastern states in the Ranji Trophy and other senior-level tournaments from 2018. The decision opened up the world of opportunities for Rex at the national level and he did all the things right to make his presence felt in the domestic circuit.