Umesh Yadav said that he was naughty kid and loved to steal mangoes.
"I was so naughty in my childhood that I wouldn't sleep at nights. I used to go to the orchards and steal mangoes. Yes, I was naughty, but just like others, even that little boy (addressing himself) had dreams of his own. He had a belief that he could achieve something big," says Yadav.
He also revealed that he used to play non-stop cricket in Nagpur heat to earn money to buy essential cricket equipment.
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"I wouldn't get money from home but I had to buy spikes, a bat, pads, and other things. Where would I get the money from? So, I used to play three matches in a day in the scorching heat. It didn't matter how hot the conditions in Nagpur were, I used to play and that period I believe was was a struggle for me,” he said.
He also revealed that the spell that got him confidence and noticed was the one he bowled to India stalwarts VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid during a Duleep Trophy match, where he picked a fifer including the two big guns.
"When I went to play the Duleep Trophy match and got to know the team I would be playing against and I would be bowling against the likes of Dravid and Laxman - I was terrified. I had never imagined that I would bowl such a fine spell under such a pressure situation. I took a 5-wicket haul for South Zone and I got the big wickets of Dravid and Laxman. That gave me immense confidence,” Umesh said.
(Cricbuzz inputs)