New Delhi: If Parful Hinge stepped into the limelight with his new-ball spell for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, his teammate, Saqib Hussain, grabbed the limelight by sharing the new ball. Rajasthan Royals InningsSaqib finished with figures of 4/24, matching the best bowling performance by an Indian. IPL Debut, as his slow off-cutters did the trick.“This fearless prodigy Saqib Hussain looks very talented. At the start of the chase, he took the big wicket of Yashaswi Jaiswal with the new ball. Later, he showed his ability to bowl slow off-cutters and his ability to nail them surprised everyone. His slow pace gave Mustafizur Rahman vibes,” he feels like the former right-hander as the former Zedland bowlers said. Mitchell McClenaghan said later.If the IPL brought Saqib to the big stage, there was a time when it was difficult for him to even have two meals a day. Hailing from Bihar’s Gopalganj district, Saqib’s story of playing cricket at the highest level is limited to the bare essentials and based on survival. “There’s nothing to lose, there’s only this to gain. What’s to be done, you’ll do (I’ve got nothing to lose, and all I’ve got to gain is this…so I’ll just keep at it and do my best),” says Saqib.Saqib’s childhood was unforgivable. A pair of spikes wasn’t just equipment; It was a choice between sport and sustenance. “The spikes that come are priced at Rs 10,000-15,000. Where will the shoes be bought from?Saqib’s mother, Sabkhta Khatun, recalls the moment when she had to make a difficult choice.“One day Saqib came to me and said, ‘Mum, I don’t have spikes, how can I continue playing cricket?’ I didn’t have enough money to buy spikes. I had to sell my jewelery to buy him spikes,” she said.Saqib’s father Ali Ahmad Hussain, a farmer, had to stop working after a knee injury, leaving the family in dire straits. With limited means, even basic necessities were difficult to afford.“I became unwell, after which it became difficult to even manage a single meal,” recalls Ali Ahmed. Cricket, then, was no joy. It was a gamble.His father said, “He works very hard. That’s why we decided to play our cards on him.” “It wasn’t just hope, but a calculated risk.”In his debut match, he was trusted with power play as well as bowling during the death overs. This confidence did not come easily. Perhaps this is why Saqib feels less of a bond with speed and more of a responsibility.“Now I have been able to reach speeds north of 140 kmph. Next season, I believe I will be able to cross 150 kmph,” he said.
