On January 5 last year, Pranav Dhanawade, 16, broke bowlers’ spirits and a world record en route to a mammoth score of 1,009 runs (in 327 balls) in a local school match. He was playing for K.C. Gandhi School and was taking on Arya Gurukul School. The previous best was 628 runs, scored by Arthur Collins, an English schoolboy, in 1899. Dhanawade became a sensation overnight, making headlines and trending on social media. A prodigy had been discovered, they said. Journalists lined up outside his home in Kalyan, Maharashtra, eager to get a quote from the son of an auto-rickshaw driver.
A year later, he says his life has completely changed. “Previously, no one recognised me,” he says. “I was just another face in the crowd. Now, when I walk down the street, or even while travelling, people instantly recognise me and ask if I’m that boy who scored 1,009 runs. Journalists had travelled all the way from England to interview me in my house. Many sponsors came forward to help me with my studies and cricket. On the flip side, I now face a lot more sledging from the opposition during matches.”
Dhanawade lives with his parents in Kalyan’s Kadam Chawl, which has now become a landmark in Thane district. His mother, Mohini, runs a small catering business and, because of her busy schedule, rarely gets to see him play—last she saw her son play was three years ago in Pune.
For a couple of months after he broke the record, Dhanawade’s days were packed with interviews and felicitations. And, because of the tight schedule, he raced through books at the last moment for his class ten board exams and scored 61 per cent. He is now studying commerce at Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.
Dhanawade with his coach Mubin Shaikh | Janak Bhat
“I feel like I am constantly being watched by journalists,” he says. “They are in regular touch with my coach to know what progress I have been making. My father has told me to be a lot more focused because of this.” However, he insists that he doesn’t feel any pressure to perform.
Dhanawade is an early riser, and wakes up at 4am on most days. Four times a week, from Tuesday to Friday, he has cricket practice with his college team in a maidan in Matunga from 7am to 9.30am. In the evening, he has another practice session from 4 to 7 in Kalyan’s Subhash Maidan. He also practises in Kalina, home to the Mumbai Cricket Club, thrice a week from 9.30am to 1.30am.
He catches up with classes in-between practice sessions.
A day after his record-breaking innings, the Mumbai Cricket Association awarded him with a monthly scholarship of 010,000. Sports goods manufacturer SS Cricket sponsored his cricket equipment. Apparently, early last year, Meerut-based SF Cricket, the company whose bat Dhanawade used to get the record, said it would introduce a new range of bats in his name.
But, though he has proper equipment, the facilities in Kalyan are subpar, says his father, Prashant, and coach Mubin Shaikh. This has held back many other talented young boys, they say. “Last year, the politicians promised us that they would build a ground with adequate infrastructure for young cricketers in Kalyan,” says Prashant. “However, that plan is yet to materialise and they have yet to acquire the land.” He says the ground where Dhanawade practises is not safe, as cars and other vehicles drive through it. The ground is uneven and there is no place for cricketers to keep their belongings safely. In December, some policemen allegedly misbehaved with Dhanawade and his father because a practice session was not wrapped up before Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar was due to land there on a helicopter. The minister later said that he was sorry if the allegations were true and that he would take it up with the chief minister.
The father and son were disappointed when Dhanawade did not make it to the Under-19 Mumbai team in April last year. “It was a major challenge for me as the Under-19 probables matches are highly competitive,” says Dhanawade. “I was extremely disappointed with my poor performance.”
After this rude wake-up call, Dhanawade underwent intensive training at Just Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for a month, to improve his batting technique. The cost of training and accommodation—Rs 2,500 a day—was borne by a sponsor.
Soon after, Dhanawade went on his first foreign trip—to London—with the Worli Cricket Club. “In England, I managed to score 72 and 58 in the first two matches,” he says. “It was a good experience playing in a new country as I learned how to acclimatise myself to a different environment and weather conditions during matches.”
He played in two more tournaments in London, and the exposure, he says, improved his technique. Despite that, he was unable to qualify for the second Under-19 selection tournament, which was held in October. “I feel he should have been selected because he has good stamina and the ability to score runs,” says Prashant. “We were very disappointed after that. I don’t understand why he wasn’t given that opportunity as he has been given a scholarship by MCA.” He has been playing for the MIG club in local competitions, but the transition to the big stage would not be easy. Chandrakant Pandit, coach of the Mumbai Ranji team, in fact said he hadn’t even heard of Dhanawade.
Dhanawade says his dream is to be part of the Mumbai Ranji team and the national team. Shaikh, who has been training him for about 10 years, says the next two years are vital for him.
Family time: Dhanawade and his father, Prashant, outside their Kalyan home. Prashant, an auto-rickshaw driver, has been a pillar of strength for the teen | Janak Bhat
“Last year, during the Under-19 selection rounds, he did not score any runs,” says Shaikh. “He can’t be selected based only on his reputation. He needs to perform time and again to prove himself. However, in the past two months or so, his performance has improved tremendously. I am very happy to see how he has evolved as a cricketer. In fact, I am a lot more happy now than when he scored 1,009 runs because he has a far better understanding of cricket and has also improved his wicketkeeping.” So, does he believe his pupil will make it to the Indian team? “If I was asked this question six to eight months ago, my answer would have been no,” he says. “After seeing how well he has been playing recently, I do believe that he has the potential. For him, sky is the limit.”
Former India A batsman Amol Muzumdar told THE WEEK: “Any kid who has scored 1,000 runs has a lot of potential. However, in Mumbai, the competition is cutthroat. Personally, I would like to wish him all the best. If he is aiming to play higher, he should grab all the opportunities that come his way.”
