Ankit Chatterjee breaks Sourav Ganguly big record: Ankit Chatterjee made a big record in his name in the sixth round of Ranji Trophy match which started from Thursday 23rd January. This 10th class player made his debut for Bengal at just 15 years and 361 days and with this he broke a 35-year-old record of Sourav Ganguly. Ankit has become the youngest cricketer from Bengal to debut in Ranji Trophy. Let us tell you, Ganguly played his first match for Bengal at the age of 17 in 1989-90. This match was the final of Ranji Trophy in which Bengal defeated Delhi.
Who is Ankit Chatterjee?
Ankit Chatterjee opened his account for Bengal by hitting a brilliant cover drive against experienced Haryana fast bowler Anshul Kamboj in his Ranji Trophy debut match. This short of his refreshed the memories of former legend Sourav Ganguly. Ankit, a Class 10 student of Bangaon High School, has had a journey till this moment full of sacrifice and tireless dedication.
To reach the Kolkata ground, he has been waking up at 3.30 am almost every day for the last three years and after a two-hour journey by the 4:25 Bongaon-Sealdah local train, he used to walk for half an hour to reach the Kolkata ground. His daily routine ends at nine or 10 o’clock at night. Ankit learned of his debut two days before the match when established opening batsman and India A cricketer Abhimanyu Easwaran was ruled out of the match due to a hairline fracture.
However, instead of getting nervous, Ankit accepted this opportunity with patience, which according to his childhood coach Dolon Golder has been his ‘trademark’ quality. Ankit said about his ‘signature shot’ (cover drive) after the match in Kalyani, “It was absolutely normal for me and I even slept well last night. I was not thinking of being aggressive but the ball was hitting that ball. It was worth a shot, so I did it.”
Spotstar’s AccordingAnkit’s father, Anup Chatterjee, is a contractor in Bangaon. He quickly saw his son’s passion and bought Ankit a bat. Ankit used to play on the ground behind his house. Ankit’s father said, “He used to play in the backyard of our house and I could see his love for the game.”
Ankit honed his skills under the supervision of Coach Goldar at Sonali Cricket Coaching Centre. Godar recalled, “Khub Shanto Bacha Chillo (He was a very quiet boy), but he would always listen attentively and practice until I asked him to stop.”
Photo Credit: @Insta-cabcricket
Ankit progressed rapidly. He showed his talent for the first time in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in the Under-16 category. He was the top run-scorer of Bengal in this tournament. Due to this performance, he got a place in the Under-19 team, where he practiced under the supervision of coach Saurasish Lahiri.
In the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, he impressed against Assam at the Barabati Stadium by scoring a century in 75 balls, hitting nine sixes. He emerged as the leading run-scorer for Bengal this season by scoring over 400 runs in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
Lahiri said about Ankit that he is a “fearless cricketer, a team man who plays with punches”. His performance continued in the Cooch Behar Trophy, where he performed brilliantly against Mumbai at the Eden Gardens and completed his century by lunch.
Ankit’s favorite cricketer is Virat Kohli. Ankit is a fan of Virat Kohli’s working style and his attitude on the field. Ankit remains humble despite his achievements. Grateful for the support of his father, coaches and cousins, he said, “I have waited for this day for a long time, but this is just the beginning.”
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Also read: Ranji Trophy: Batsmen who scored most runs in Ranji Trophy, surprising names in the top-10 list
