Bengaluru, March 25 -- From a boy who "did not even have enough to eat" to a 5.2 crore INR Indian Premier League contract, Mangesh Yadav's rise from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, to Royal Challengers Bengaluru is a story of grit and sacrifice.
Before he bowled a single professional delivery, Mangesh's father, Ramavadh Yadav, a truck driver, laboured through nights worrying how to fund his son's dream. "Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, thinking about how I would raise money for him. The life of a truck driver is no life at all. You don't have time to eat or bathe," he said.
Mangesh, 23, began playing tennis ball cricket in his small courtyard, guided by his uncle who recognised his talent and encouraged him to train in Delhi under coach ...