Kumar overcomes tragedy of losing parents, shines in Maharaja Trophy

Kumar LR is among the leading contenders for the Purple Cap at the ongoing Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20. While he has played a crucial role in leading Hubli Tigers to the semifinals, his journey has been stricken with adversity.

Life took a devastating turn in 2022 when he lost both his parents within a few months – his mother to blood cancer and his father to a stroke shortly after. This left him and his two sisters to navigate life on their own.

“It was a very difficult period for me,” Kumar reflected. “Suddenly, it was just me and my two sisters, and we had to look out for ourselves.”

Amidst the grief, the 23-year-old recalled how his mother enrolled him in formal cricket training in his hometown at the PET Cricket Academy in Mandya during his childhood. “She initially dissuaded me from playing cricket, but one day, she surprised me by enrolling me in cricket training, and I have not looked back since.”

Following his recent spike in performance, Kumar is determined to honour his mother’s memory by breaking into the Karnataka team across formats. “I want to make her proud, and that really motivates me to keep going forward and get better,” he shared.

Despite the hardships, cricket provided the right arm pacer with the financial stability needed to support his family and contribute to his mother’s treatment during her illness. “Fortunately, cricket has given me some financial strength, which I could use for my mother’s treatment and to run my house,” he said.

Though he is an allrounder, it’s his bowling that has been at the forefront of his claim to earn a spot in the Karnataka team. This season, Kumar is competing for the Purple Cap in the Maharaja Trophy, trailing only his Hubli Tigers teammate, Manvanth Kumar (15 wickets), and Bengaluru’s Lavish Kaushal (16 wickets). Kumar’s 14 wickets include three three-wicket hauls.

It was Kumar’s composure in the final over against the Bengluru Blasters where he defended 11 runs, conceding only 5 runs in the first five balls, that set in motion a historic triple-super-over that saw Hubli Tigers gain two vital points against the Bengaluru Blasters.

His rise in form follows a lacklustre stint with Bengaluru Blasters last season, where they lost nine out of ten games. Reflecting on the previous season and the consequent brickbats he received on social media, he said, “I told myself I must be able to win matches for the team. A lot of the negative comments on social media were about my lack of variations with the ball, I tried to take it in the right spirit and committed to working on my variations.”

Often referred to as Brett Lee due to a similar bowling action, Kumar faced a setback after last season with a lower back injury last year. Determined to bounce back stronger, he has been working with former Karnataka and India pacer Abhimanyu Mithun to refine his action, reducing the strain on his back. With Mithun, Kumar also focused on enhancing his variations, drawing inspiration from his early days playing tennis ball cricket.

“I’ve spoken to many tennis ball cricketers who use a lot of variations in that format,” Kumar explained. “They effectively use slower balls, wide yorkers, and knuckle balls. I’m still working on the knuckle ball with Abhimanyu Mithun, and it keeps getting better. I hope to perfect it soon.”

His endeavours have earned him 10 wickets in the death overs, outshining his previous two seasons where he picked up four and five wickets respectively. He also attributes his success to the positive atmosphere within the team as well.

“The energy has been very good at the camp,” Kumar noted. “We were one of the first teams to start our camp, where we did a lot of match scenarios and spot bowling. That gave me a lot of confidence, and the team really encouraged me.”

As the Maharaja Trophy enters the knockout phase, Kumar hopes he can channel his hard work to help Hubli Tigers retain the title for another season.