'Suresh Raina entered my life like a god' - Kartik Tyagi recalls his teenage years

Often called ‘Mr.IPL’, Suresh Raina displayed terrific consistency to score over 5500 runs in 205 appearances of the tournament. However, his form dipped in the 2021 season, and could not find any interest from any of the franchises in the IPL 2022 auction.

This time, Raina has hogged the limelight due to the heartfelt revelation by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Kartik Tyagi. In the video shared by SRH’s official Twitter account on 19 April, Tyagi is seen discussing his progress in the younger days and how he made it to the Uttar Pradesh Ranji team.

“When I was 13, I participated in the Under-14 trials and this is where my cricketing journey began. I started playing for the Under-14 team and then Under-16. In the U-16, there was a season where I got 50 wickets in 7 matches. That is where the selectors started noticing me,” Tyagi mentioned.

The right-arm seamer further said that the former India cricketer was impressed by him and ensured he gets due chances under his belt in the future. Although he could not believe the compliment, it came true when he was finally selected for the Ranji Trophy squad.

"From there I reached the state Ranji Trophy camp. Then there was an incident where Suresh Raina had also come. I used to be very silent and was observing everything. He was about to leave after his practice, but I don't know why he came back to the ground. He then approached me and asked me about what was my role. I told him that I was a bowler and then he gave me a chance to bowl in the nets. 

“He saw my performance and told me that 'I like your bowling and I will ensure you get chances in the future.' Personally, for me, it was a good thing that someone like Suresh Raina noticed my performance,” Tyagi added.  

Tyagi made his first-class debut in 2017 against Railways, at the age of 16. In the same season, he featured in the first-class fixture as well. He then featured for the Indian team in the U19 World Cup 2020 and picked up a total of 11 wickets in six appearances. These performances paved a way for him to get a contract with Rajasthan Royals.

In IPL 2020, Tyagi scalped nine wickets in 10 matches. But, his career-defining moment arrived, after he defended four runs off the last over in the fixture against Punjab Kings.