Canadian cricketer Dilpreet Singh Bajwa gives locals reasons to rejoice

Canadian cricketer Dilpreet Singh Bajwa gives locals reasons to rejoice
Toronto: It is not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It is the will to prepare that matters. This is perfectly applicable to cricketer Dilpreet Singh Bajwa who has become a household name in Gurdaspur. Residents may or may not watch T20 World Cup matches involving Indian players but they definitely switch on their TV sets when Canada plays.

Reason is that the young cricketer features in the Canadian national squad. Earlier, the hype was not much when he played in the qualifying tournament held in Bermuda last September. However, once the Canada selectors opened the doors of the national team for him, interest was at an all time high. He is a protégé of coach Rakesh Marshall. Rakesh, during his heydays, was a follower of West Indian fast bowler Malcolm Marshall.

Back to Bajwa! During his school days, which were spent in Gurdaspur and its satellite towns of Dhariwal and Batala, Dilpreet was a good middle order batsman. He scored runs regularly in Punjab’s domestic circuit. However, he failed to gain a breakthrough in the state team. His parents could see the disappointment of rejection in his eyes. They decided to migrate to Canada lock, stock and barrel. Once there, Bajwa showcased his talent while playing for Montreal Tigers in the famous Global T20 league. Impressed, the selectors pitch-forked him into the team for the T20 World Cup.

Continuous efforts, and not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking your potential. Bajwa knew this and worked hard on his batting. Essentially, a player who likes to drive the ball, he also developed the skill of lofting the cherry. Some of his hits landed 20 feet deep into the stands. A fortnight before the T20 World Cup kicked off, he was in Gurdaspur meeting friends, relatives and most of all Rakesh Marshall, the coach who turned him into a man from a boy. The cricketer knows that good is not good when better is expected. Hence, he is trying to put his best foot forward in the ongoing tournament being played in the USA and the West Indies. He may or may not succeed, but he has given Gurdaspurias a million reasons to rejoice.