Farmer's son Dayanand Garani bags the role of Team India's throwdown expert

There is a saying that goes ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ and Dayananda Garani has proved it once again. Not very long ago, he was manning the traffic on a busy Kolkata street as a Civic Police Volunteer but is currently in Dubai with Team India as their throwdown expert-cum-masseur for the forthcoming tour of Australia.

In a country where almost every child dreams of playing for Team India, Garani was no different. But like many, his cricket career didn’t reach the greater heights either. Garani, however, has realised his dream to be a part of Team India although not as a player but as a staff. He will now help the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and others to prepare for their big test Down Under.

Garani, whose father is a farmer, hails from the remote Jamatiya village in East Midnapore district’s Kolaghat area. He opened up on his ‘stunned’ reaction after receiving the news of joining the Indian team and revealed that his father was speechless too.

“I was stunned, it took some time to realise it and when I conveyed this to my father on phone, he was speechless and blessed me,” Garani was quoted as saying by TOI.

Throwdowns not new for Garani

Dayanand Garani might be having his first stint with Team India as a throwdown expert but he is not new to it. Before joining the national team, he was working with the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. He received the call from the BCCI just before he was set to head back to India following KXIP’s exit from the ongoing IPL 2020. Garani received the offer because regular throwdown expert Raghavendra is down with COVID-19.

“All my life, I’ve dreamt of serving the country and this is the opportunity. I never thought this would come so soon. They must have seen something in me during the IPL — it’s really been the turning point,” Garani said.

Bowling with the side-arm at speeds of 140kph-plus continuously for close to three hours can be a tough job but Garani is ready for the challenge. The 28-year old revealed that he used to do gymnastics during his childhood and is strong enough to meet the demand of Team India’s players in the nets.

“I’m ready to sacrifice everything for this new challenge,” he said. “I was a gymnast during my childhood days and always strong physically. Be it a bouncer, yorker and a full length delivery, whatever the batsman wants I’m ready for it.”

A medium pacer, Garani had to face several setbacks in the past. He started his journey in the game as a small-time club cricketer and could not even afford to buy white flannels or purchase a bus ticket from Kolaghat to Kolkata at one point in time. Later, he represented Kolkata Police in first division matches and also did duty for them as a ‘Green Police’.

But after failing to get a big break in the game, he decided to take a different route. Debraj Nahata of Kolkata Police suggested him to do some fitness training and masseur courses and Garani did not hesitate in trying his hands at it. He got in touch with Bengal trainer Sanjib ‘Haru’ Das and later joined Andhra Ranji Team in 2016, where he mastered the art of throwdown.