That the protagonist is the son of a retired army jawaan, lives in Darbaripur village near Gurgaon, worships Sachin Tendulkar, learnt his cricket by watching television, rose in no time to the Haryana under-22 team, and got a sports-quota admission in Kirori Mal College, makes his story a modern fairytale.

Interestingly, his parents were strictly against him playing cricket and wanted him to do something “productive” with his life. “Mujhe kuch karna tha bus (I just had to do something). I had no idea I could score a century but I am thrilled that I hit 157,” Pal told Sportline on Monday.

“My team had to win a bonus point and they asked me to open. I just kept Tendulkar in my mind and went doing my job. I love to hit the ball in the air and over the boundary. Everything I tried came off well,” he said.

One look at the muscular six-footer and everything reasons out neatly. “Earlier I just hit the ball with brute power, now I try and use some technique too,” he says.

His coach Sandeep Jakhad believes he’s got the potential to make it big and tells an interesting story about his discovery. Jakhad, a former Haryana Ranji Trophy player and coaching in-charge of the Gurgaon team, watched him running 12 rounds of the Tau Devi Lal stadium on a daily basis over a period of time. “I was quite surprised with his built and stamina, I asked him why is he doing all this, and he replied, ‘India ke liye khelna hai is liye’ (I have to play for India, that’s why).

“I liked that attitude and got him into my academy to see if he can play cricket or not. He was a fast learner and, in his first year, he played for under-17. The next year, he represented under-19 and he played for Haryana under-22 this season. It’s just a matter of time before he makes his Ranji debut.”

Jakhad takes care of Om Pal’s kit and other expenses and Om Pal admits he owes a lot to his coach for what he has achieved so far. “It’s something like the movie Iqbal. I think I relate to that film in many ways,” he says.

Like a Bollywood movie, Om Pal’s story has an ironical twist — he still hasn’t decided whether he wants to be a batsman or a bowler. “I am still confused on which I should concentrate,” he says.