Chandigarh's Manan eyes test cricket cap

CHANDIGARH: City-lad Manan Vohra has played in under-15, under-16, under-22 cricket teams and IPL but his ultimate aim is to wear the Indian test cricket cap. Emerging as an aggressive Kings XI Punjab player in his debut season of IPL 2013, Manan is the rising cricketing star from Chandigarh.
The talented sportsman, who made his mark on the pitch and was one of the two players to be retained by their IPL teams, said, "I regard Viru bhai as my mentor in Kings XI Punjab.I have learnt priceless things like how to play according to situations by watching and training with talented cricketers of Kings XI." After getting such exposure, Manan has realized that "maturity matters a lot in cricket".
Though his grandfather Y P Singh was a renowned hockey player, Manan always knew that his passion lay in cricket. "I started playing at the age of seven for my school academy. My parents have been extremely supportive throughout my journey and motivated me through all my ups and downs," said the gifted cricketer. Manan is a man of varied interests. "I love watching tennis. I play table tennis besides cricket. I also listen to a lot of pop music," he added.
"The most memorable moment of my life was the IPL final match against Shah Rukh Khan's KKR. Though we did not win, my 67 run knock was extremely special for me," said the budding sportsman, who draws his inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar and Vivian Richards. "I was disappointed when I missed the under-19 world cup in 2012 because I fractured my thumb during the practice session just a day before we had to leave," he recalled.
Walking on the pitch with a million eyes on you and the pressure to perform can be stressful. "I do breathing exercises to ease stress and pressure. I meditate every morning," replied Manan, when asked how he copes up with all the stress.
Voicing his firm opinion against drug abuse, Manan said, "Drugs are not necessary for anyone to do well in life. God has given us this life and the onus lies on us to make it successful with hard work and perseverance." When asked about the message that he would like to give to aspiring sportsmen, Manan said, "Children should not take sports only as a medium to earn their bread and butter. The most important factor is that you should enjoy the sport. Only then will you succeed."