Sometimes life can be just so unpredictable. It was all straight out of a dream for David Paidikalva Vijaykumar, when he got the call for selection in the Deccan Chargers team in the Indian Premier League.
Born on October 20, 1986, in Andhra Pradesh P Vijaykumar, as he is better known, was surviving below poverty line. Doing odd jobs as a truck-cleaner, farm help, and loading vehicles, P Vijaykumar as he is known, couldn’t believe his ears when he was told to be a bowler for the Andhra team in the Ranji Trophy season of 2006-07. Under the keen eye and supervision of former India bowler Syed Abid Ali, P Vijaykumar blossomed from an amateur to an expert with refined bowling skills. P Vijaykumar has a record of 34 wickets in just 11 first-class matches with a rate of 22.88. In the Eden Gardens December 2007 match against Bengal alone he pocketed a ten-wicket haul that marked his entry into the IPL. Already rubbing shoulders with the biggies of the game like Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, and Sachin Tendulkar, the day doesn’t seem far when P Vijaykumar will be the proud owner of the trademark blue jersey and Indian cap due to his sheer determination and diligent efforts.
The IPL, an acronym for the Indian Premier League, was a Twenty20 cricket tournament held by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). Since it inception on 18th April, 2008, this tournament had been a rage with kids and adults alike. Women too would watch the matches with keen interest. This event was by far the biggest thing to have taken the nation by storm in 2008. There were in all 8 teams participating in the IPL namely Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, and Kolkata Knight Riders. The IPL ended on the 1st of June, 2008 with the victory of the Rajasthan Royals team owned by A.R Jha, Lachlan Murdoch and Suresh Chellaram.
