Offie Gowtham's 10-year dream turns into reality

BENGALURU: For nearly 10 years, off-spinner K Gowtham had been dreaming of an Indian Premier League contract. The closest he got before Monday morning was attending trials for Royal Challengers Bangalore a few years ago. Gowtham, who made his Ranji Trophy comeback with Karnataka in 2016-17 after three seasons, was finally rewarded for his good showing in domestic T20 tournaments.The 28-year-old genial cricketer was snapped up by Mumbai Indians at Rs 2 crore, 20 times his base price of Rs 10 lakh.
An off-spinner who can keep it tight with his economy rate of 7.01from 20 domestic T20 appearances, Gowtham also has an enviable strike rate of 166.66. The Bengaluru lad who returned to the city late on Sunday night after the India `A' tour game against Australia was thrilled with the news.
“I have waited for this moment for a decade. Now that I have been picked by an IPL team it feels nice. Actually , it's difficult to express the feeling,“ he told TOI.
Having made it to the auction pool for the first time, Gowtham had butterflies in his stomach as events unfolded. Speaking about finding a home team, he said: “I attended the Mumbai Indians trials and was hoping I would get a contract. I believe I have made the best use of the opportunities I got on the domestic circuit and that helped teams take no tice of me. The price is a bonus because I wasn't looking at money , my only aim was making it to a team. With that done, I'm looking forward to an opportunity to showcase my skills on the IPL platform.“
Gowtham, who is nicknamed Bhajji after his role model Harbhajan Singh, said he was looking forward to learning and working with the seasoned spinner, who is an integral part of Mumbai. On the inclusion of the Karnataka bowler, Akash Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians said: “He is a good off-spinner and can bat a bit lower down the order.The personality he has on the field will be an asset for us. More than anything, we are looking for leaders.“