Vivek Shelar is the latest Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) success story, who has been picked in Maharashtra’s squad for the upcoming edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The 26-year-old pacer, a native of Bhiwandi, had a maiden ISPL season to remember, taking nine wickets for Tiigers of Kolkata, including a hat-trick in the eliminator, a team co-owned by Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sourav Ganguly, in February this year.
The ISPL continues to solidify and grow in stature, producing promising talent who could emerge as future stars, and picks up steam with the Season 4 Auctions set to take place in Mumbai on November 15.
Like every cricketer who starts playing the game with a dream of representing India, Shelar harbours similar aspirations but wants to go ‘step-by-step’ as he looks to do well for Maharashtra, a team studded with Indian stars, including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw.
He credited his call-up to his performances and success in the ISPL, saying that he earned an opportunity to play for Maharashtra after the selectors watched him regularly challenge the speed gun. “Only because of ISPL and my performances there, I was called up to practise during Rajasthan Royals’ trials. The selectors backed me after watching my performances and the speeds I clocked in the ISPL,” Shelar, who clocked a speed of 145.2 kph during the tournament, said.
Goal is to try to get selected to IPL: Shelar
“Now that I have been selected for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, I will try to give my best there and hopefully get selected in the IPL. That will be my goal, but first, I will try to help Maharashtra win.”
ISPL, India’s pioneering tennis ball T10 tournament, has played an important role in providing access to talent from everyday tennis-ball cricket and creating a pathway for players to earn a professional cricketing career and make it to the mainstream.
For Shelar, there is a ‘festival-like atmosphere’ in his village whenever he plays and appears live on television. “It used to stream on YouTube earlier, but now it is available on JioHotstar, and that makes a huge difference. My whole family gathers together to watch me on TV,” he said.
Abhishek Dalhor, who was called up as a net bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a couple of seasons ago, and Irfan Umair, who earned a call-up to Mumbai’s senior state team, both began their journeys through the ISPL, which has become a sustainable platform for tennis-ball cricketers to earn their livelihoods and showcase their talent.
“For tennis cricket, it is the number one platform. You never know, anyone can be picked directly for the IPL from there. It is that big,” Shelar added, while mentioning that the ISPL has also taken good care of the players financially. This has helped them gain access to better practice facilities and training environments, preparing them to take on the challenges ahead.
As Shelar gears up for a busy season ahead, with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the next season of the ISPL set to kick off next month, he wants to give his everything to help his team win. Playing in the IPL and eventually representing India remain among his long-term objectives. “The first goal is to help the team win. The second goal, as a bowler, is to win the ‘Best Bowler’ award and give my best,” Shelar said as he continues to forge his own path.
