I was fascinated by watching Brett Lee, that influenced me to become a fast bowler: Chintan Gaja [Interview]

Chintan Gaja has fetched praises from the cricketing fraternity for his heroics in the domestic circuit. He is highly regarded as the upcoming bowling all-rounder who has the potential to make it big. Playing for the Gujarat Ranji Trophy team he produced some impressive performances to blow the trumpet of his repertoire.

He made valuable contributions to the side in Gujarat’s first Ranji Trophy title (2016-17). The pacer also was one of the key players who helped the team to book their semi-final spot in the 2019-20 edition of the tournament. It is to be noted that he was once an opening batter who. in his Under-16 days, hit a triple-hundred in a single day of school cricket.

His ability to move the ball makes him the best option for the skipper to open the bowling with. Chintan is known for moving the new ball especially away from the right-hand batters. Gaja went to the Asia English School in Ahmedabad and used to open both batting and bowling for his team.

In this season of Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished as the highest wicket-taker for the team. Gaja scalped 13 wickets from five matches and also maintained a healthy economy rate. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he clinched five wickets from six games.

In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Gaja opened up on the various aspects of his game. Right from his career-best moments to the cricketer he idolizes, he spoke about many such intriguing things.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Your career’s best moment so far?

It would be the Ranji Trophy Championship which we won in the year 2016-17 because it was my first year and to be the champions in the same year, there couldn’t be a better moment than that.

Your favorite format of cricket?

All three formats but I love Test cricket.

Your cricket idol is?

Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath as well.

A destination you would like to visit?

South Africa

If not a cricketer what would you have been?

I was good at studies so I think I could have beomce a CA.

Whom do you text the most?

As of now, it’s my wife. If not her then Dad because I share a lot of my cricket things with him.

Your best friend in the cricket world is?

Many of them but after the match, I share most time with Dhruv Rawal and Manpreet Juneja, and Axar Patel from the Gujarat team.

What were you afraid of as a child?

Teacher writing homework incomplete in the diary.

The costliest thing you have ever bought is?

iPhone

Summer or winter?

Absolutely, winter

The best cricket captain of all time is?

No one other than MS Dhoni

An IPL team you would like to play for?

Chennai Super Kings

Describe yourself in one word…

Discipline

What movie can you watch on repeat?

There are few, but Dangal and Chhichhore.

Which superhero powers do you wish to have?

I am a big fan of spiderman so I guess his superpower.

A record you would like to achieve?

Getting 10 wickets in an innings.

If you could swap lives for a day with a cricketer, who would that be with?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

If you were a hashtag what would you be?

It would be something related to discipline.

The funniest person in the Gujarat dressing room is?

Axar Patel

One cricketer, who makes a boring traveling partner?

My rommie itself Rujul Bhatt. He will be on his phone all the time.

The best cricket stadium in India is?

Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad

The pitches in India have been conducive to spinners most of the time. Then what inspired you to become a fast bowler? Any bowler you looked up to growing up?

As a kid, I used to watch the Sharjah matches and Australia and India rivalries. India used to go to Australia and they got hit on ribcages and shoulder. I was fascinated by watching Brett Lee bowl. And that influenced me to become a fast bowler.

You picked 13 wickets in five matches of Vijay Hazare Trophy this season and were also superb in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Something specific if you have changed from last season?

Being disciplined is our team’s strength. I was just specific about being more disciplined in my bowling whether it was the new ball or with the old one. Being disciplined proved good for me. So from the very first match itself, I thought if I will be disciplined on this wicket and if I don’t give any room to the batters it would work for me.

Axar Patel has become more or less regular for India while Priyank Panchal also got picked for India for the SA tour. Have you been speaking to them or any of India players all this while in terms of getting experience? Also, your teammates getting picked must be inspiring you more to do well at the domestic level right?

Before Vijay Hazare, I had a good 30 min talk with Jasprit Bumrah. He told me to be myself. And said that you have the skills so just be good at practice every day. So that helped me a lot to perform like this in Vijay Hazare.

Your message to the budding cricketers?

Be disciplined in your work and practice hard. It’s not going to be an overnight success. You will have to go there, sweat it day in and out. And just make a diary to analyze your performance. These are the things you need to carry until you reach somewhere and after that as well.