The Mumbai Indians endured a disappointing outing in the 2022 Indian Premier League, as the side is currently reeling at the bottom of the table in the season. With only two wins in 11 matches, the MI are already out of contention for playoff spots in the season; however, despite a rough season, the emergence of young players in the side has been a positive for MI. The likes of Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis have impressed with the bat for the side, while spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh has also been impressive for the side in his limited outings in the season so far. Follow IPL 2022 Coverage
The 24-year-old made his debut during the second half of the group phase against Rajasthan Royals, and has taken three wickets in as many games since. On his debut, Kartikeya registered impressive figures of 1/19 in his four overs, as he took the important wicket of Royals' captain Sanju Samson. MI eventually went on to secure their first win of the season in the game.
Kartikeya has now revealed how his father, who is a police officer, watched the game when he told him about his debut.
“I told my father that I was playing. He announced this to his entire battalion. They installed a projector. My dad watched the match on the projector. When I took my first wicket, everyone stood and clapped for him, and hugged him. When he shared that video after the match, that was an unparalleled feeling for me. Because I saw my father smiling in the same way he did when I started playing,” Kartikeya recalled during a video for the Mumbai Indians.
{{/usCountry}}“I told my father that I was playing. He announced this to his entire battalion. They installed a projector. My dad watched the match on the projector. When I took my first wicket, everyone stood and clapped for him, and hugged him. When he shared that video after the match, that was an unparalleled feeling for me. Because I saw my father smiling in the same way he did when I started playing,” Kartikeya recalled during a video for the Mumbai Indians.
{{/usCountry}}“He said that you've now got this jersey, now you have to focus on future.”
The spinner also recalled how MI captain Rohit Sharma motivated him before Kartikeya bowled his first over in the game.
“When I entered the ground, when my bowling came, Rohit bhaiya gave me the ball. He told me to bowl without hesitation and that he will take care of everything else. He asked me to focus on my bowling. After I got done, he praised my bowling and told me that I wasn't afraid. All coaches also said that I bowled fearlessly,” said Kartikeya.