'I want to buy a house for my family' - Chetan Sakariya after bagging Rs 1.2 crore IPL contract

Since its inception in 2008, the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) has served as a platform for a number of cricketers to turn their fortunes around. In the past, one has seen several rags-to-riches stories emerging from the IPL. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj are some of the big names who turned their dreams into reality only after bagging lucrative IPL contracts.

The latest player to enter IPL’s rags-to-riches club is Chetan Sakariya. Not very long ago, his family was struggling to make ends meet as his father, a temp driver, could not earn enough. His father Kanjibhai used to transport goods in a tempo traveller to make ends meet for a family of five. In fact, Sakariya had to visit his friend’s house to watch cricket matches on television.

Things gradually improved when the left-arm pacer made his debut for Saurashtra during the 2017/18 domestic season. In the beginning, Sakariya’s father had to visit his friend’s shop too to watch whenever his son turned up for Saurashtra. But things have changed now for the 23-year old from Gujarat after he earned his maiden IPL contract.

In last month’s auction, Rajasthan Royals secured his services for a whopping amount of Rs 1.2 crore. Sakariya had registered himself in the auction at the lowest base price of Rs 20 lakh. The youngster will be hoping that he gets a chance to showcase his talent in the upcoming IPL 2021.

Chetan Sakariya eyeing a new house

While only time will tell how Chetan Sakariya performs in the IPL, the youngster is currently looking to buy a house for himself. His family is presently staying in Vartej, a small town ten kilometers west of Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. Sakariya wants to relocate to Rajkot city with his entire family. Another reason for relocating to Rajkot is that it would make things easier for him as far as remaining in the game is concerned.

“I want to buy a house for myself. We currently stay in Vartej village. I am planning to buy a house for my family in Rajkot and also because it will be easier for me to be involved in cricket there,” Chetan Sakariya told Times Now.