Himanshu Sangwan, a ticket collector, credited Glenn McGrath for his six-wicket haul

Every year during the long domestic season in India – which includes the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Ranji Trophy – a lot of new talent is spotted, and some of them have heart-warming stories to tell. The latest such story to emerge from the four-day competition is that of Himanshu Sangwan, a 24-year-old fast bowler, who is a ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station.

He made noise at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium last week, when he steered his team, Railways, to a ten-wicket win with his six-wicket haul. Among others, he dismissed India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and the young batting sensation Prithvi Shaw.

Sangwan has credited former Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath for his good bowling in the Ranji Trophy. “I take inspiration from Australia legend Glenn McGrath. He used to watch my videos and tell me the areas where I should improve. He is a legend of the game. He told me one thing – ‘when in trouble, go to the basics’,” Sangwan told Times of India.

“I bowled many deliveries under his (McGrath’s) supervision and he was taking notes. After every session, he used to motivate me and tell me technical things. ‘Stick to the basics and stay patient’ – these are the two things I will a lot in the Ranji Trophy,” Sangwan said.

Talking about the precious scalps of Rahane and Shaw, the pacer said that he had specific plans in mind for both the star batsmen.

“I knew Prithvi is an attacking player. He will always look to attack. So I didn’t panic and bowled in some specific areas, with change of pace. This worked well against Prithvi. But when Rahane came to the crease, the thought of him being one of the best Test batsmen in the world crossed my mind. I bowled in the right areas and wanted him to play the outside-off- stump deliveries. That’s how I got him,” he explained.