Kerala pacer Basil Thampi was sweating it out in the nets of the Indian team ahead of the opening Test against Australia in Pune when news broke out that Gujarat Lions has roped him in for Rs 85 lakh in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Fair enough, for the 23-year-old has been having a dream run of late. First his impressive performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy propelled him to the South Zone team for the zonal competition.
Though the right-arm pacer played in only a couple of matches in Mumbai, he got a call from the BCCI to join the Indian team as a net bowler. And now comes the IPL offer.
“I came to know of the happy news when I returned to the hotel. I was bowling in the nets and I will be here till Wednesday (the Test begins on Thursday),” a delighted Basil told Onmanorama over the phone from Pune.
“I was hopeful of getting an IPL offer since I had done well in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the fact that the tournament was telecast live also helped me. But I never expected to get such a big amount,” said Basil.
His base price was Rs 10 lakh.
For a teenager whose dream was to play for Kerala at the junior level, the Perumbavoor lad has come a long way.
“I wanted to quit cricket at the age of 19 as I wanted to work in the Gulf and support my family. I would like to thank my early mentor Prasad, C.M. Deepak of Swantons cricket club, who persuaded me to continue the game, and our Ranji coach Tinu Yohannan.”
Pace is Basil's big strength as he consistently hits the 140 km per hour mark. “My coaches at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai (Australian legend) Glenn McGrath and (former Tamil Nadu Ranji player) Senthilnathan have told me never to cut down my pace. I believe it has taken me so far,” said Basil.
He is thrilled about getting a chance to share the dressing room with the likes of Indian stars Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum and West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in the upcoming IPL season. “I am so happy and it's such a big thrill to get a chance to play with these stars.”
The journey has only begun for Basil and he could well become the third Kerala pacer after Tinu and Sreesanth to don India colors.