Rough seas have made him a better sailor: Vignesh Puthur’s childhood coach

Sunil Kumar's son Vignesh Puthur impresses with Mumbai Indians debut, overcoming financial challenges to shine in IPL opener.

Sunil Kumar and his wife Bindu did not expect to see their son, Vignesh Puthur, make his debut for the Mumbai Indians in the side’s very first match of the season in Chennai.

With an intimidating Chennai Super Kings batting line-up to deal with, MI brought in the 24-year-old left-arm spinner, who took to the big stage like a duck takes to water.

Sunil, who drives an auto in Perinthalmanna, has faced many financial challenges in helping his son achieve his dreams.

“When we saw him step out in Chepauk, we had tears. He got here without making it to the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare,” the proud parents told The Hindu.

“Rough seas make a better sailor. Vignesh was nursing a lot of pain because when he had the chance to make it into the state U19 and U23 sides and bowl well there, he couldn’t. That feeling, that those around him had what he didn’t, kept him going. He was clear that when he got a platform, he needed to perform,” Vignesh’s childhood coach, Vijayan, told the publication.

Left-arm wrist spin bowlers are a rare breed in cricket. Vignesh’s beginnings too were with pace bowling before he settled into life as a tweaker.

“It’s one thing to have quality coaching available, but a whole other ball game to actually imbibe what’s being taught. A child of 11 is barely at an age to understand chinaman bowling. Leg spin is one of the hardest skills in cricket. Your wrists need to be flexible. You can’t have a robotic movement. Your entire action should flow like liquid, from loading to bowling,” he said.