“Mumbai wale yahi bol rahe the ki humara score na beat karde… ”
Mumbai U-19 players were worried when Karnataka opener Prakhar Chaturvedi crossed 350 in the Cooch Behar Trophy final. Mumbai had posted 380 in their first and only innings and Prakhar alone managed 24 more than that as his unbeaten 404 rewrote record books and helped Karnataka post a mammoth 890/8 to win the title based on first innings lead.
Prakhar became the first player to score a quadruple century in Cooch Behar Trophy final and broke Yuvraj Singh’s 24-year-old previous best of 358. He is also the second player ever to score a quadruple-century at the U-19 level. Former India U-19 captain Vijay Zol had scored 451* for Maharashtra in a fixture vs Assam back in the 2011-12 season.
The evening of the last day of the title clash became a busy one for young Prakhar as his phone kept buzzing after the record outing but he took some time out for CricketNext and spoke about his journey and the feat.
“It feels really great that I have been able to perform in this kind of a match. It was a big game for us and everyone had come to watch it. Scoring 404 is a very proud moment for me. Mumbai wale yahi bol rahe the ki humara score na beat karde (laughs),” says Prakhar hours after creating history.
The youngster was batting normally even when he was in the 300s and continued with the “blank mind” approach.
“We had taken a good lead till the time I reached around 400. We were pretty sure that we were winning this game. When I reached 390, I let my instincts take over. I was playing with a totally blank mind and I reached the milestone,” says Prakhar.
Lessons from Rahul Dravid
Prakhar is a very close friend of Samit, son of former India captain and current head coach Rahul Dravid. The Karnataka player got lucky enough to get some batting lessons from the great Indian player.
“I have been playing with Samit since U10. I have known him for a very long time, we are very close and in fact, we have had some good partnerships as well during the academy games or club games. This is the first time we are playing for the state together,” says Prakhar.
“I have met Rahul Sir 4-5 times. I have had a chat with him quite a number of times. He has told me one thing that whenever you practice in the nets, just imagine that you are playing in a match situation. Ask the bowlers their field placements and play accordingly,” adds Prakhar.
U19 World Cup disappointment
Prakhar missed the U-19 World Cup bus but he didn’t let the disappointment of not making the cut, affect his batting. Playing for India U-19 was one of his goals when the season got underway but a dip in form during selection matches made him miss Karnataka’s initial Vinoo Mankad Trophy squad too.
“Yes, it’s a bit disappointing. Before the season started, the idea was to play India U19. But then when I didn’t get a spot, the only option was to focus on whatever opportunity was coming. I was not there for the Vinoo Mankad trophy initially. My form dipped a bit during the selection matches. But then the selectors and the coaches backed me and I was picked up for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy,” says Prakhar.
Prakhar, who bowls part-time leg-spin too, keeps fitness as a top priority and has been a regular to the gym since his U-16 days.
“So, in one week I do 2-3 days of gym or endurance for a couple of hours. Apart from that, I give 3-4 hours to my practice. This is what I try to follow. One thing I make sure is that I try to keep a check on my routine so that I don’t get tired. This is during the off-season. I started with my gym during my U16 days. I used to work out for an hour during that time. During the season, I focus on skills,” he said.
Journey & family support
Prakhar started playing cricket when he was just eight and has been training at the SIX Academy in Bengaluru since 2017. The journey, however, got underway at the Frontiers Cricket Academy.
“I started playing cricket at the age of 8 and a half. I joined Frontiers Cricket Academy. It was then changed to RXCA. There I met Ranjan Sir who recognised my talent and started working on my skills. He in fact talked to my father and convinced him that I have the talent to play the higher level. This is how I started playing the game,” says Prakhar.
Prakhar has enjoyed a lot of support and encouragement from his parents throughout his journey. While his father owns a software company, his mother is an advisor in the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
“My mother and father have been very supportive. Even if I was not getting runs, they were the ones who told me to continue with my practice and be persistent,” says Prakhar.
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