Dhull relieved after ton to kickstart “new innings”

Dhull relieved after ton to kickstart “new innings”

As a youngster aiming to climb the ladder in the cut-throat world of Indian cricket, Yash Dhull, a former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain, would have long braced himself for ups and downs on the field. But the 21-year-old batter from Delhi wouldn’t have seen the curveball that was thrown at him away from the field earlier this year, when what seemed like a customary check-up by the medical team of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) at an emerging players’ camp detected a hole in his heart.

Life has changed for Dhull having had to undergo a minor heart surgery for the congenital condition, but evidence that he is doing absolutely fine came via his unbeaten century for Delhi in the second-round Ranji Trophy clash against Tamil Nadu on Sunday. This century — his first in First-Class cricket since his recovery — marks a “new innings” in Dhull’s own words.

“This was a very important innings for me because this is after a surgery. When you come back to playing on such a platform and start a new innings, this (century) is good motivation and a positive sign,” Dhull told reporters. “This condition was there from the start. Normally the surgery happens after birth. Mine has happened very late. That we got to know was very important. Because after the age of 35, this would have harmed. Being back on the field makes me very happy.”

Gurjapneet shines

Tamil Nadu pacer Gurjapneet Singh backed up his six-wicket haul on Ranji debut with another commendable shift. Of the eight wickets that Tamil Nadu prised out on Sunday, Gurjapneet contributed two in 23 disciplined overs.

“We were just executing our plan of being consistent on a length. All the bowlers did that, which is why our economy rates were good and we curtailed Delhi’s scoring,” he said.