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Fresh from his success in the recently-concluded Vizzy Trophy, where he smashed two centuries (192 vs East Zone and 162 vs South Zone) for North Zone, besides showing his all-round prowess by also picking up 13 wickets in the tournament. No doubt he was also the Man of the Tournament.
With Rahul Dravid as his batting idol, Gaurav has modelled his style on the former Indian captain. “Everyone cannot be a big hitter. I like to build my innings and usually try to run singles and twos initially before going for big shots. That's why I could play big knocks in the Vizzy Trophy,” he says.
His recent performance has Gaurav hope for the next season. The 21-year old player of the Sri Guru Gobind Singh College says, “My immediate aim will be to represent Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. I know the off-season will be very critical but I have the ability to play at that level.”
Gaurav’s ultimate hero is Yuvraj Singh, someone he grew up watching play at the Cricket Stadium. “He has been great for Chandigarh's cricket. As a kid I would watch how he would hit big sixers in the local matches and the fact that he can do that at the international stage makes him so special,” he says.
Other than Saqlain, his bowling heroes are Shane Warne and Muthiah Muralitharan: “They have been great for the world cricket. They picked up so many wickets, won so many matches for their teams. They had variety in their bowling and could create magic with the ball.”
His dream came true when he met Muralitharan in 2006 when the Sri Lankan team was in Chandigarh for preparations for their Champions Trophy match. He says, “Muralitharan told me to work on my bowling hand and grip. He advised me to stick to regular spot bowling practice to achieve accuracy.”
COACH SPEAK: Harish Sharma
‘Quick learner and committed player’
Gaurav’s tryst with cricket started in 1996 under the coaching of former Himachal Ranji Trophy player and now a coach at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, Harish Sharma, Harish remembers the commitment and dedication Gaurav had when he started, saying: “Gaurav was a quick learner and a committed student who would play for long hours in the nets. He has still not changed his habit and loves to occupy the nets for long hours. He understands the demands of today's cricket so he keeps himself fit too. He is a brilliant all-rounder and an agile fielder. I think what works in his favour is the fact that he plays cricket with a mature mind and hates giving away his wicket easily. He likes to build his innings and then dominate the proceedings.”
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