Akshay Wadkar: Keeper of faith #pkyblog #pkyvlog

Akshay Wadkar: Keeper of faith

By Pradeepkumar Yadav

THE game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.
—Michael Jordan.

The story of Akshay Wadkar, son of Vinod a head clerk in Morris College, is yet another example of a rags-to-riches tale. He never had the means and finances to take up a career in cricket. But solid support from his father and a helpful coach ensured that the talented wicketkeeper-batsman does not miss out on his dream.
“My family was unable to pay my club fees. For several months I did not go to the club. But it was Madhav Bakre sir, founder and manager of Nagpur Cricket Academy (NCA) who helped me during that crisis. He did not charge any fees and if I was in need of any cricket material, he was the first person to help me,” Wadkar told ‘The Hitavada’ as he waited eagerly for the Ranji Trophy final to start in Indore from Friday.
Bakre, too, was all praise for his ward. “Akshay is very humble and down to earth student. His self-esteem and sense of responsibility is brilliant. As he started getting match fees from VCA he and his father made it a point to come to my office and deposit the club fee. This fighting attitude and belief in self will help him go a long way,” Bakre said.
Wadkar’s faith in own abilities has helped him tide many crises, be it in Under-29 cricket or Ranji Trophy. The quarter-final against Kerala where he scored two crucial knocks of 53 and 67 not out is also a case in point.
“On the first day after the match, I was batting in the nets. Chandrakant Pandit sir came and told me not to shuffle too much. I practiced hard but couldn’t get the confidence. So, when we came back to the hotel I went to his room and told him that it was not working. I asked him to allow me to play my natural game. Sir said that if I felt confident in shuffling I could continue but he asked for runs. I am glad I fulfilled my promise,” the 24-years-old narrated.
Same was the case in age group matches. An impressive performance in the Cooch Behar Trophy catapulted Wadkar among Ranji probables. But what truly changed his fortunes was the season where he ended up becoming the first Vidarbha U-19 batsman to score twin tons in a match. Soon after that he was selected in the Central Zone squad for the Inter-Zonal One-Day league in Chennai.
Another hurdle came in way. He suffered from dengue and was in a critical condition with the platelets count doing down drastically. He missed the first three matches but did not lose hope. The resolute youngster came back strongly and scored a fifty each in the next three matches.
“I knew that I will get a chance again in future. I will get a call-up but I did not expect it this soon. I can’t tell you how happy I was at that time. I felt that I got second life and I have to prove myself,” Wadkar added.
Wadkar was a picture of confidence during his stay against Karnataka in the second innings. His partnership with Ganesh Satish helped Vidarbha post a target that was eventually defended in that historic semis at the Eden Gardens.
He now hopes to make it big in the final, if chosen to play. “If I get a chance I will definitely give in my best. This is a huge match for all of us,” he concluded.

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