J&K cricketer Manzoor Dar wishes to emulate MS Dhoni

Manzoor Dar became only the second cricketer from the state of Jammu and Kashmir to play in the IPL after he was bagged by the Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming season.  He was procured by the franchise at his base price of 20lakhs in the recently concluded auction in Bengaluru. The 24-year-old has come a long way from his humble beginnings  Dar went from a Rs. 20 daily wager to being a part of one of the most watched leagues in the world.

Heralded as a big-hitting all-rounder, Dar is more commonly known as ‘Pandav’ for his sheer brute and aggressive batting approach towards bowlers. The cricketer also represented Jammu and Kashmir in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and played some good knocks which helped him bag an IPL deal.

With great aspirations, the player from the politically turmoiled state revealed that he would like to emulate CSK skipper MS Dhoni and his style of play. According to news daily Sportscafe, Dar said, “It will be huge to play alongside him. The others in the game whom I look up to are Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni. I always wanted to hit sixes like Dhoni.”

Manzoor needs to channelize his ambitions

Hailing from a small village in Bandipore district, the youngster is known for his strong hitting capabilities. He keeps the ability to hit the ball hard, handsome and long, even with a raw willow cleft, let alone a Kashmir willow bat.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches Manzoor has a stocky build and weighs a solid 84 kg which complements his big-hitting. The soft-spoken all-rounder comes from a poor family. His father is a laborer and struggles to make both ends meet and Manzoor being the eldest son, has to shoulder most of the responsibilities.

All Manzoor needs now is to channelize his ambitions and desires and establish himself as a potential prospect in the upcoming IPL, which in turn could garner the interest of national selectors.