Left Kanpur home at 15, Kumar Kartikeya has arrived

BHOPAL: When Madhya Pradesh lifted the Ranji Trophy on Sunday, there were celebrations across the state – and in one home in Kanpur. Maybe, now he will be back…
Kumar Kartikeya, the standout bowler for the MP side with five wickets, had left home nine years ago, vowing, “Kuchh kar ke hi lautunga.” He was 15 then.
When TOI caught up with him in the euphoria of MP’s historic win, Kartikeya said: “It’s been nine years, two months and three days.I have not met my parents in all this time.”
So, has he 'arrived'? Will he go home now? He has professional commitments he needs to take care of, said the left-arm spinner. “I think it will take a while longer. I will meet them only when I have 20-25 days to spend at home. I haven’t seen them for so long,” said Kartikeya.
When TOI called his father Shyamnath Singh, a head constable with UP Police, he became emotional. “I am a father, I can hold myself together. But his mother is very emotional. Only the phone keeps us connected. We are desperately waiting for him,” said Singh. He is posted in Jhansi and the family lives in Kanpur.
Asked why Kartikeya left home at such an early age, Singh said, “When he was not selected for UP’s under-16 team, he left home with a promise that he would return only when he had made his name in cricket.”
Kartikeya said: “I left home as I was a little stubborn. Yes, I told my parents that I would go home only when I make a name in cricket. I even worked in a tyre factory for my livelihood when I was in Delhi. Those were hard days, but I have no regrets.”
He worked as a night labourer, walked miles every day to save Rs 10 on bus fare, and went without lunch for a whole year. But the hunger pangs never overcame his hunger for success.
After leaving home, he went to Delhi in 2015 and met his friend Radhey, who was playing local cricket then. He introduced Kartikeya to Dronacharya Award winner Sanjay Bharadwaj. “I asked him to bowl at the nets, and his very first delivery was enough to gauge his talent,” Bharadwaj, who coached players like Gautam Gambhir and Amit Mishra, told TOI.
“I was shocked when I learnt he used to travel for 4 hours from Ghaziabad to Ashok Vihar (32km, one way) to attend training sessions every day. When I asked him to have lunch with me one day, he told me that he hadn’t had a proper lunch in the past year. He used to work in a factory in Ghaziabad (worked the night shift) and spend all day at nets,” Bharadwaj, adding that he tells players stories of Kartikeya’s dedication to inspire them.
Bharadwaj then asked him to stay with a cook at the training ground. “He performed well for two years but Delhi did not consider him for a place in the team. Since he was talented, I wanted to give him a break to play domestic cricket," said Bharadwaj.
It was Bharadwaj who introduced Kartikeya to officials of Shahdol Division Cricket Association in 2017. The association could play only one guest player, and Kartikeya got the berth. He debuted in first-class cricket in 2018. He took two wickets in his first Ranji match. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. This year, Kartikeya was roped in by Mumbai Indians for Rs 20 lakh. But his trip home? Maybe soon.