By Meinam Amit Singh
SHILLONG, Feb 1: The glitz and glamour of the mega Indian Premier League (IPL) have enthralled cricket lovers in Shillong and the rest of the state for 14 seasons since its inception in 2008.
But the 15th edition of the cricket extravaganza is likely to be a special one for Meghalaya and for Akash Kumar Choudhary.
The 23-year-old cricketer has earned the distinction of being the first player from Meghalaya to be included in the list of players for the upcoming IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
The cricketing fraternity in the Meghalaya erupted in jubilation after Akash’s name was included for the mega auction scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on February 12-13.
“I am really happy and excited for the auction,” an ecstatic Akash told The Shillong Times on Tuesday. “I was not expecting my name to be included for the auction,” he said.
“Everybody expected Himan (Phukan) to be on the IPL auction list. So when he called me and said that my name was on the list and not his, it was a surprise for me,” Akash added.
“We are very happy that someone from our state has been selected for the IPL auction,” President of Meghalaya Cricket Association, Danny Marak said. “I hope Akash serves as an inspiration for others to work hard and achieve greater heights,” Marak added.
General Secretary of the Meghalaya Cricket Association, Gideon Kharkongor termed it a historic achievement for cricket in the state.
“It is a historic moment for us (Meghalaya). Akash is the first player from the state to be selected for the auctions. I hope and pray that he is selected by one of the IPL franchises,” Kharkongor said.
Four players – Akash, Kishan Lyngdoh, Chirag Khurana, and Himan Phukan – had applied for the mega auction.
A right arm medium fast bowler, Akash made his T20 debut for Meghalaya against Gujarat in Surat on February 21, 2019. He has taken 19 wickets in 16 T20 games at an impressive economy rate of 7.29.
Akash was instrumental in Meghalaya’s successful Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign this season. He bagged 6 wickets in 5 matches. Akash also achieved his best T20 figures of 3/19 in the tournament.
Born on November 28, 1999 in Shillong, Akash did his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya (Eastern Air Command), Upper Shillong. It is here that he took to cricket seriously after representing his school when he was Class IX. He passed out from the school in 2016-17. He then joined St. Anthony’s College and graduated in 2021.
Akash’s rise has been significant and he worked through the various age groups before representing the state senior team. He has been part of various National Cricket Academy (NCA) camps. His first NCA camp was in 2016. The same year he made his first appearance for Meghalaya in the U-19 age group. He was also part of the prestigious India NCA camp in 2018.
“I am thankful to my parents for their constant support, and also to the Meghalaya Cricket Association and all the coaches that have worked with me and helped me reach this stage today,” Akash concluded.
