New Delhi, April 15 -- "I am not joking. I need a good player for the franchise. Why take a risk with a boy whom no one knows about when you have 10-15 state players available at your disposal?" a Gaya Gladiators coach told Robin Singh when he introduced Sakib Hussain in the Bihar Cricket League (BCL) in 2021.

Little did anyone know that the lanky, tall right-arm pacer from Gopalganj would defy those doubts, rising from the rugged grounds to the glitz of the Indian Premier League (IPL) five years later, and hold the record for joint fifth-best bowling figures by an Indian on debut - 4/24.

On 13 April, when every cricket fan was hoping for another "Jai-Surya" show by the Rajasthan Royals duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, S...