India, Feb. 13 -- Cricketer Umesh Yadav, who last represented India in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final, opens up about his journey on and off the field.

Speaking about the struggle in his early years in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, the 37-year-old says, "The first image that comes to mind is of my father returning home from the coal mines, covered in coal dust... Money was handled carefully. Needs came first, and everything else waited."

Despite the hardships, Umesh fell in love with cricket at a young age, though playing for India wasn't something he had initially imagined. "There was no talk of professional cricket or playing for India. I played because I enjoyed it," he recalls. But when it turned serious, organised cricket brou...