17-year-old Zeeshan Ansari the latest sensation in the art of leg spin

17-year-old Zeeshan Ansari has become a spin bowling sensation in the Uttar Pradesh training camps. On the absence of Piyush Chawla who recently made a move to Gujarat and Kuldeep Yadav who is on national duty, Zeeshan is expected to feature in the playing XI.

Playing with international stars like Suresh Raina who’s expected to be the skipper, the upcoming Ranji season promises to be an exciting opportunity for the youngster. He caught the attention of many locals who gathered to watch the practice session at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium. The youngster kept bowling tirelessly in the nets whether it was Raina or Akshdeep Nath. Chief coach Meitunjay Tripathi and bowling coach Ashish Winston Zaidi carefully watched as he toyed with the batsmen.

Other relevant figures have a say on him

Junior India selector Gyanendra Pandey said: “Leg spinners are always match winners. The red-clay pitch here would be the best suited to Zeeshan, who gives his deliveries a lot of air. He is not afraid to be hit for fours and sixes.”

Gyanendra was the selector who had picked Zeeshan for the U19 World Cup squad last year. He pinned his hopes on Zeeshan to prove his match winning abilities as his side takes on Railways. He also mentioned that playing Ranji would be an elevation for him. “Ranji Trophy is a different ball game. One has to work hard to succeed at this level,” said Pandey.

Team manager Sanjiv Jakhmola also sounded ecstatic about Zeeshan’s bowling. “Within a few years, he has learnt to grip the ball well. I saw him at the under-19 level, but he is a mature bowler now,” added Jakhmola.

In the two under-19 World Cup games that Zeeshan played last year, he managed to impress a lot of people. However, it was last month that Zeeshan grabbed eyeballs following his brilliant performance in the Buchi Babu cricket tournament where he picked up 13 wickets.

Bagging his maiden five-wicket haul against Afghanistan in 2015, Zeeshan hails from a family of tailors. His father runs a shop at an IT college crossing in Lucknow. A close family friend also revealed the struggles Zeeshan had to face, to reach this stage.

“The boy struggled a lot but never lost the courage to fight the odds. He has a passion for sport. He took up cricket at the age of 10 and earned a name for himself even in school cricket,” said Kanhaya Lal, a family friend.