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Uncapped Jharkhand cricketer Robin Minz, picked up by Gujarat Titans for Rs 3.6 crore, stole the limelight in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction in Dubai on Tuesday.
Robin's father, Francis Xavier, an ex-army man working in the security department at Ranchi airport, expressed excitement about Robin's focus during practices, noting he was the first coach for Robin. Robin's father, Francis, expressed happiness, saying it feels like his son has reached the Moon from the Earth. "Feeling very proud. It's hard to describe emotions. It feels as if he has reached the Moon from the Earth [Dharti se Chand tak pahuch gaya]. Jharkhand is known for MS Dhoni. Dhoni is Robin's idol. And it is difficult to find a player and a man like MS Dhoni. Dhoni is also my idol too," Robin Minz's father told ANI. Robin, a tribal cricketer from Jharkhand, has yet to make his professional cricket debut. He has established a name for himself in local T20 events with his lightning-quick strikes. "When talked with him after the auction, Robin asked me 'Papa aap khush hai na? [Papa are you happy?]. But I was crying happy tears at that time. I replied to him that I congratulate you a lot. You can't even imagine how happy you will be if your son rests on the moon on the hair of his labour. My son's name will be written on the first page of history because he belongs to the Adivasi community," he added. Despite not having much knowledge about cricket, he learned how to bowl to give practice sessions to his son. He narrated that he used to take him to the nearby ground with his daughters for practice. "I was his first coach so I knew what he was playing. There was a ground nearby...he used to play there. His mother and sister were made fielders and I was made a bowler. I never played cricket before but I learned something for my son," he added. Robin's father Francis said that he was hopeful that his son would get a chance to feature in the IPL and said he wants to see the 21-year-old youngster wear the Indian team's jersey. "I was very hopeful that he would be selected. There was the slightest doubt that we were spending so much money on his practice whether the selection would happen or not. But we had high hopes and will continue to support him. It will be a matter of pride for us when he will wear the Indian jersey. His mummy supported and worked hard for his success," he said. Among the three siblings, Robin is number two. The 21-year-old young and promising cricketer is currently attending Jharkhand's under 23 camp. His mother said that the whole family started crying out of joy when they first got to know about Robin's selection in IPL. "I was crying. My daughter informed him (Robin) that I was crying. He told me not to cry anymore...My dream is to see him paying for team India" Robin's mother Elis Minz told ANI. Robin is a 21-year-old keeper-batter from Jharkhand, a state known for producing promising keeper-batters. Jharkhand is home to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ishan Kishan has played first-class cricket for Jharkhand, and now Robin Minz has signed an IPL contract with Gujarat Titans. The IPL 2024 will be a cricket extravaganza in which many fresh stars will thrive. It will be intriguing to see if a player like Robin Minz can make an impact in the IPL this season and be a contender for the Emerging Player award. (ANI)
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