Par yeh kahani sirf tezi ki nahi hai; yeh kahani hai ek chhote shehar ke ladke ki, jo apne sapnon ke peechhe daud raha hai, aur abhi bhi apne aap ko behtar banane ki jung lad raha hai. Pranav khud kehta hai, “Mujhe accuracy pe kaam karna hai.” Yeh baat uski kamzori ko dikhati hai – tezi toh hai, par nishana abhi bhi thoda dheel hai. Jab ball 147 kmph pe jaati hai, toh batsman ke haathon pe lagti hai, par agar woh seedha stump pe na lage, toh kya faida?
Pranav ki yeh kamzori uski umar ke hisaab se koi badi baat nahi. Abhi toh shuruaat hai. Usne Tamil Nadu ke liye do First-Class matches khele hain – 2024 mein Assam aur Railways ke khilaaf – aur do wickets bhi liye. Par yeh numbers uski asli kahaani nahi bataate. Woh BCCI ke Centre of Excellence mein 147.3 kmph clock karke India U-19 ka sabse tezi bowler ban gaya hai. Yeh wahi jagah hai jahan se kayi bade naam ubhre hain, jaise Jasprit Bumrah, jinka ek waqt pe 145 kmph ka bouncer batsman ke dil mein darr bitha deta tha. Par Pranav ke liye yeh tezi ek shuruaat hai, ek aisa safar jahan accuracy uska sabse bada saathi ban sakta hai.
Ab thodi si baat cricket ke us maidaan ki, jahan tezi aur accuracy dono ka jadoo chalta hai. Yaad hai 2014 ka woh Test match jab Varun Aaron ka bouncer Stuart Broad ke helmet ke grille se takraya? Broad ka chehra khoon se latpath tha, aur woh pal cricket ke itihas mein ek darr bhari yaad ban gaya. Pranav bhi aise hi bouncers ka sapna dekhta hai. Usne kaha, “Mujhe tezi pasand hai, aur bouncers se batsman ko darrana acha lagta hai.” Yeh baat uski josh ko dikhati hai, ek aisa josh jo chhote shehar ke ladke mein shayad hi dekha jata hai. Woh IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans ke liye Tamil Nadu Premier League mein bhi khel raha hai, aur ab India U-19 ke England tour ke liye chuna gaya hai. Yeh mauka uske liye sone pe suhaga hai.
Pranav ki kahani ek sprint runner se shuru hui, jo 100-meter race mein 13.76 seconds ka waqt nikaalta tha. Par jab uska chhota bhai paida hua, toh uske parents ne usse cricket mein daala, taaki woh akelapan mehsoos na kare. Yeh ek doctor ki salah thi, aur dekho, aaj wohi ladka cricket ke maidaan pe aag laga raha hai. Glenn McGrath ke MRF Pace Foundation mein jab Pranav 16 saal ka tha, tab usne 139 kmph ki ball phenki thi. Ab 150 kmph ka lakshya door nahi lagta. X pe ek post mein kaha gaya, “15 saal mein 131 kmph, 16 saal mein 139 kmph, aur ab 147.3 kmph. 150 kmph ab door nahi.” Yeh baat uske safar ko dikhati hai – ek chhote shehar ka ladka, jo bade sapne dekh raha hai.
Par yahan thodi si chinta bhi hai. Cricket ke duniya mein tezi ke saath-saath consistency bhi chahiye. Umran Malik aur Mayank Yadav jaise bowlers ne bhi 150 kmph ke aaspaas ball phenki, par dono hi accuracy aur fitness ke saath joojh rahe hain. Umran, jo ek waqt IPL ka sabse bada naam tha, ab kahin kho sa gaya hai. Bharat Arun ne kaha tha, “Red-ball cricket mein experience chahiye, tabhi aap long-term khel sakte ho.” Pranav ke liye yeh ek seekh hai. Tamil Nadu Premier League aur U-19 tour toh shuruaat hai, par Test cricket ke liye usse apni accuracy ko pakka karna hoga.
Ek aur baat jo Pranav ko alag banati hai, woh hai uska chhota shehar ka background. Jab hum IPL ke bade-bade naam jaise Virat Kohli ya Rohit Sharma ki baat karte hain, toh unke paas resources aur exposure tha. Par Pranav? Woh Vellore se hai, jahan cricket ke maidaan itne bade nahi hote. Phir bhi, usne apni mehnat se sabko dikhaya ki sapne shehar ke size pe depend nahi karte. Yaad hai IPL 2025 ka final, jab Punjab Kings ke Shashank Singh ne RCB ke khilaaf 30 ball mein 61 run banaye? Shashank bhi ek aisa naam hai jo chhote shehar se aaya aur bade maidaan pe chhaya. Pranav bhi usi raah pe hai.
Lekin yeh safar itna aasan nahi. Accuracy ke saath-saath, Pranav ko apni fitness aur technique pe bhi dhyan dena hoga. Cricket ke itihas mein kayi aise bowlers hue hain jo tezi ke chakkar mein ya toh chot ke shikaar hue, ya unki consistency khatam ho gayi. Ishant Sharma, jo ek waqt 140 kmph se upar bolta tha, ne PaceLab ke saath kaam karke apni tezi wapas paayi. Par Pranav ke liye yeh ek lamba safar hai. Abhi uski umar kam hai, par cricket ke duniya mein waqt tezi se bhaagta hai. Agar woh accuracy pe kaam na kare, toh shayad woh 150 kmph ka sapna bhi sirf sapna hi reh jaye.
