Rs 27 lakh for Abhishek Dalhor? Lock kiya jaye, say Team Big B

Abhishek Dalhor

Haryana-based all-rounder Abhishek Dalhor, known to singlehandedly win matches in tennis ball cricket, was bought by the Amitabh Bachchan-owned Majhi Mumbai team for a whopping Rs 27 lakh at the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) player auction in Mumbai on Sunday.

The inaugural edition of the six-team league will begin in Thane on March 6. Dalhor, 24, whose base price was R3 lakh, started playing as a professional tennis ball cricketer just three years ago. "I never expected to get such a big amount. I was watching the auction on TV with my parents and we got very excited when three to four teams showed interest in me. It's a totally different feeling and I am not even able to express it.

"I'm excited to play for the Majhi Mumbai team," Dalhor told mid-day from Ambala, Haryana, on Sunday. "I started playing tennis ball cricket just because the income is very good in tournaments. Our family background is good, but I wanted to earn my own money. When I started playing tennis ball cricket three years ago, I used to get Rs 5,000 a day, and that was a big amount for me. Then I started playing across the country," said Dalhor, who has represented his state in badminton and played baseball at the University level. He used to play leather ball cricket and was among Haryana's U-25 probables in 2021.

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"I played with India cricketers Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel and Mohit Sharma in regular cricket. All these cricketers told me that I have potential and I should try to play at a higher level. "But I didn't want to give it a shot because I was satisfied with whatever I was getting. My earnings depend on how many tennis ball matches I play every year. Last year [2023] I earned around Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakh. In 2022, my earnings were around Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh," revealed Dalhor. When asked whether he will still aim to play Ranji Trophy cricket, Dalhor said: "Hundred per cent I will go for it because the real cricket is Ranji Trophy cricket and to represent India subsequently."