When Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) bid for him at his base price of Rs 20 lakh (US$30,700 approximately) for the IPL 2018, that was the happiest day of his career for Manzoor Dar, who became only the second cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to be picked to play in the league after Parvez Rasool.
Manzoor had played only a handful of List A matches at the time and used to juggle through different jobs to make ends meet, carpenter by day and a security guard at night, managing a paltry sum to support his family.
It is Manzoor's power-hitting and ability to chip in with useful overs that developed his reputation in J&K circuit and caught KXIP's attention.
However, three years after that stint, life has come full circle for the 26-year-old, who is now left unemployed and struggling for survival amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with India.com, Manzoor recalled the time spent in the KXIP dressing room and feeling disappointed over how things have changed.
"When I was with KXIP, I shared the dressing-room with some of the greatest cricketers. After the stint ended, I played in the Vijay Hazare and the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments but never got the opportunity to bat up the order. Lower down the order, you do not get to play many balls and hence your scope of flourishing diminishes. Hence, I feel I have not got what I deserved," he said.
Manzoor says he has improved overall as a cricketer since that stint.
"Back then I did not have variations in my bowling and had just one gear when it came to batting. Today, I have a lot of modern-day variations like the knuckleball, the back-of-the-hand slower ball, and a sharp yorker. Andrew Tye (Australia pacer) helped me a lot in developing these variations and I am grateful to him."
"When it comes to batting, now, I play according to the situations with the limited opportunities I get, Virender Sehwag has always guided me and lauded my style of batting."
There was also a trial with Delhi Capitals (DC), which didn't quite bear fruits. "Mohammed Kaif (DC's assistant coach) sir was there. I felt I did well at the trials even with a handful of balls that I got to face during the nets. I was hopeful the Capitals would pick me and was surprised when it did not happen. It was a heartbreaking moment for me and I am yet to come to terms with it," said Manzoor, who remembers buying a house for his family with the amount he fetched at the auction.
"You see, in the present world – with the prices of everything rising, that amount is nothing. We did not have a house before, so I bought a small house where my mother could stay. I also have seven siblings – four sisters and three brothers to look after, so the responsibilities are big."
Manzoor had hoped that with his exploits, he would be able to secure a government job in his state. But that didn't materialise.
"No. I have to fend for myself and it is extremely difficult as I also have to take care of my ailing mother. I was hopeful, I would get a state government job, but that has not happened. And it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I am losing hope."
"During the lockdown, with nothing much happening, it is difficult to stay upbeat. At least, in the past – I was working and earning. Now, even that has stopped. I had put on a few extra kilos during the pandemic, so now, I am trying to burn calories and shed the extra weight to stay in shape."
In this difficult phase, Manzoor has a lot to thank former players like Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan for. While Yuvraj is his ex-teammate at KXIP, Irfan remains a mentor of his in J&K team.
"Irfan bhai has been extremely supportive and motivates me a lot. Just his presence spreads a lot of positivity. He has always told me things I need to work on and I follow his advise religiously," said Manzoor.
"Even Yuvraj Singh has supported me, sending his kit to me every season. I use his kit while playing and feel extremely proud of it. Yuvraj is large-hearted and you would always like to be around him as he is a great human being," he added.
