DTC bus driver's son gets berth in Ranji team as a fast bowler
DTC bus driver's son gets berth in Ranji team as a fast bowler
A will can win a war. And 22-year-old fast bowler Vikas Tokas has proved it.
Son of a DTC bus driver, Tokas, who till now was sweating it out in the crowded by lanes of Mohammadpur in Delhi, is getting ready to don the prestigious whites of a Ranji team. He will play for the Indian Railways team and also get a permanent job in the railways.
Not only this, the budding cricketer will get a chance to train under Sultan of swing Wasim Akram after being included in the presitigious Gatorde Pacers Hunt, 2009 winner's list.
"My hard work has finally paid off. I was trying for more than two years to emerge as a winner in the Gatorde Pacers Hunt but couldn't. Thankfully, I changed my bowling techniques under coaches like T Sekar and Ramji Srinivasan during national camps and have finally taken the first step to achieve my dreams," says the soft spoken Tokas.
"I am looking forward to meet and practice with Wasim Akram. I just can't wait for the training to start and will try to learn some swing techniques from him," adds the ecstatic bowler, whose training will take place between July 15 and 29.
The journey for the lad has not always been a roller-coaster ride, but he gives credit to his parents and his trainers to make it a smooth sailing one. "I have been practicing since I was a child. As I come from a humble background, I did face difficulties, but I was fortunate that my parents and coaches supported me, both morally and financially," says Tokas, who idolises Australian fast bowler Brett Lee.
When asked if he'll be in the footsteps of his batch mates like Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli, pats comes the reply: "Kuch banna hai toh Ishant kyon banunga, apna hi naam karunga (If I have to become someone, why will I be Ishant? I'll make my own name)"u00a0
The dedicated player who represented Delhi under-19 and under- 22 categories during 2004-2007, started his career playing for the Malviya Club and is all for the concept of T20 matches. "Definitely, I would like to be a part of the national team. But at the moment I am eyeing to get into one of the teams in Indian Premier League (IPL) as its huge platform for the upcoming cricketers," says Tokas, who studied till 12th in Sarvodaya Vidyalaya.
