IPL 2022: Die-hard fan of MS Dhoni, Rajvardhan Hangargekar realises late father's dream by bagging CSK contract
India Today
India U19 World Cup-winning pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who lost his father in 2022, said he is looking forward to learning from MS Dhoni. The teenager bagged a contract with Chennai Super Kings after he was sold for Rs 1.5 crore at the mega aucion.
India U19 World Cup-winning fast bowler Rajvardhan Hangargekar said he is delighted to have bagged an Indian Premier League contract with 4-time champions Chennai Super Kings. Hangargekar, who shone with his all-round skills in the U19 World Cup in the West Indies, was bought by CSK for Rs 1.5 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction on Sunday.
The 19-year-old from Maharashtra impressed one and all at the U19 World Cup with his pace that touched 140-plus consistently. He can also hit a long ball as he showcased at the World Cup where he scored at a strike rate of 185. Hangargekar.
The teenager had lost his father due to Covid-19 in 2020 but he bounced back to put on some heroic performances at the U19 World Cup. The hard work paid off at the auction table as Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings entered a bidding war for the Maharashtra cricketer. Eventually, CSK bought him for a winning bid of Rs 1.5 crore.
Speaking to the BCCI, Hangargekar said his late father loved MS Dhoni and wanted him to play for CSK and that he is elated to have realized his father's dream.
"I have always been a die-hard fan of MS Dhoni, my father used to like CSK a lot, he really loved Dhoni and he always wanted me to play for CSK. I am really happy to play with his franchise," he said.
"Winning the U19 World Cup was a really good moment for all of us, this thing we will cherish for our entire life.
"Everyone wants to play in the IPL, by the time my name came up in the auction, that was the amount I got excited about. When MI and CSK were fighting it out for me in the auction, that was a great moment for me," he added.
