Published: Jul 18, 2016, 06:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 18, 2016, 06:51 PM (IST)
Born July 18, 1993, Manan Vohra is an Indian cricketer who is tipped to be one of the next big things in Indian cricket. Primarily a right-handed batsman, Vohra is known for his prowess at the top in shorter formats. Vohra came to limelight playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and has been a consistent performer for the side. On his 23rd birthday, Suraj Choudhari throws light on 12 lesser-known facts about the young-gun from Punjab.
1. Legend’s grandson: It may come as a surprise to many but Vohra is the grandson of former India hockey player Yogesh Pratap Singh.
2. Yuvraj connection: Vohra at present is honing his cricketing skills under the watchful eyes of former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh.
3. Chiselled his path in the KXIP side: Riding on his performances in the Under-19 World Cup, Vohra was drafted by the KXIP side in 2013 IPL season.
4. Impactful IPL debut: Vohra made an impact in his maiden IPL game against Pune Warriors India (PWI), where he scored 43 during the 2013 season.
5. Magnificent run in the 2014 IPL: Vohra smashed 324 runs at a staggering average of 40.50 in IPL 2014. He made the most of his opportunities and got his team off to a good start on a consistent basis. His contributions were equally important behind KXIP’s successful run to the final.
6. Praised by Yuvraj Singh: Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has spoken highly about Vohra on multiple occasions and also acknowledged him as ‘an outstanding talent’.
7. IPL final: Vohra came out all guns blazing in the 2014 IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Bangalore. He smashed 67 runs at the top and also stitched a massive partnership of 129 runs with Wriddhiman Saha but his side lost the game by a whisker.
8. 187: Vohra is widely reckoned as a shorter-formats specialist, but on this occasion, he silenced his harshest critics with a tenacious knock of 187 for Punjab against Jharkhand in 2013-14 season of Ranji Trophy at Dhanbad. He went berserk in the first innings and smashed 24 boundaries and three sixes to record his finest performance in First-Class cricket.
9. Favourite moment in the IPL: The selectors of KXIP side showed immense faith in Vohra and retained him in 2014. In fact, he was one of the only two players who were retained back. As per an interview on Sportskeeda, during a match in Delhi, his then teammate Virender Sehwag gave him a pat on his back and praised his efforts.
10. Not a party animal: Vohra does not prefer to go for parties and prefers to spend time with family and friends. He was quoted by Sportskeeda as saying, “I am a family oriented person. When I am not travelling or practising, I stay at home enjoying some quality time with my family. I still follow home rules. My mom wants me home by 9 pm whenever I am out, and it is really not that difficult for me as I am not a party animal. Instead, I prefer hanging out with my friends at some peaceful place.”
11. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fan: Vohra once named Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma as his favourite cricketers as they seem to be technically composed to him.
12. Sachin Tendulkar as his inspiration: Indian legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been an inspiration to many young guns across the globe. The master blaster is massively followed by cricketers in India and he is no less than God to Vohra too. The young Punjab cricketer was inspired by Tendulkar to play cricket.
(Suraj Choudhari, an avid cricket follower who plays the sport at club level, is a staffer with CricLife)
