Vada pav, engineering, now fast bowling

A vada-pav seller’s son, Gurudas Shenoy, finds himself on the cusp of realising his dream to become a cricketer. Between maintaining attendance at his engineering college and helping his father at the vada-pav shop – the family’s only source of income – Shenoy feared his dream of becoming a fast bowler would die an early death. But thanks to a nationwide pace bowling hunt, Shenoy is all set to train under Australian coach Rodney Marsh at the ICC’s Global Cricket Academy in Dubai. Shenoy, who took five wickets on his Kanga League debut, caught the eye of former India fast bowler Manoj Prabhakar at the talent hunt. “The best thing about his bowling is the nip that he gets off the wicket,” Prabhakar told the Indian Express. “He is quick and can generate 140-plus. If he is properly trained back home, he has a long future.”