Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was all praise for teenager Prakhar Chaturvedi who slammed 404 in the Cooch Behar Trophy final to break his 24-year-old record. The youngster batted for 638 balls to achieve the massive feat and strengthened his chances to making Karnataka U23 and Ranji Trophy debuts. He became the first cricketer ever to hit a quadruple century in the Cooch Behar Trophy final as Karnataka earned their first title. Yuvraj held the record after scoring 358 in the summit clash.
“Very happy to see this! Records are meant to be broken and I’m glad to see the future of Indian cricket in safe hands,” Yuvraj wrote on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
Riding on Chaturvedi’s innings, Karnataka made 890 for eight in 223 overs, replying to Mumbai’s 380 all out in the final at Shivamogga.
“It is a great feeling. I am delighted that the innings came in the final, and helped Karnataka earn the first title (Cooch Behar). Feeling a bit tired but, yes, nothing can match the happiness of a team winning the title and you are contributing to it,” Chaturvedi told PTI.
Chaturvedi comes from a household that has placed academics as the first priority as his father, Sanjay Kumar Chaturvedi, owns a software firm in Electronics City, while Rupa, his mother, is a technical advisor in DRDO.
But that has not prevented them from allowing their son to pursue his heart’s calling.
“They have been very supportive of me from the time I took up cricket as an eight-year-old. They had even availed me of the services of a private throwdown expert during the (Covid-19) lockdown. Fortunately, I have been able to carry both cricket and studies together,” he added.
Chaturvedi gave a lot of credit to his coach Karthik Jeshwant for his development as a cricketer.
Jeshwant coaches Chaturvedi at the SIX Cricket Academy at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Excellence here.
“Jeshwant sir is technically very knowledgeable. He quickly spots even the minutest technical error in my batting. It is a blessing that I am able to work with a coach like him,” said Chaturvedi.
Jeshwant, a former Karnataka captain, coach and selector, is an impressed man. “Prakhar is a dedicated boy. He keeps coming to the academy (near Devanahalli) from his home (Bellandur), which is quite a distance away.
“Apart from his good technique, his biggest quality is his ability to handle pressure. He has a mature head on his shoulders, and hopefully we can see him climbing the ladders soon,” said Jeshwant.
(With PTI inputs)
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