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Kamlesh Singh Nagarkoti - 17-year-old (another potential 90 mph fast bowler)

rkt.india

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rkt.india Grand Master

rkt.india

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"I salivate with these things, it is so impressive," Ian Bishop says on air during India's opening match at the Under 19 World Cup, as he methodically examines and explains the mechanics of Kamlesh Nagarkoti's action.

 

 

Nagarkoti has just hurled down another delivery in excess of 145Km/h, he is in his fourth over of his spell and there are no signs of his pace creeping below 90mph. Standing around 5 '8 at best, the wir, Nagarkoti, is having his name typed into google search engines by cricketing fans all around the world. How is it, that a guy, 18 years of age with such a wiry build generate so much pace?

 

 

'Actually wo uttarakhand ka ladka he, unka wo jo build hota he wo alag hi hai' (he is originally from Uttarakhand, there is something different about the way they are built), Nagarkoti's childhood coach Surendra Rathore tells Cricbuzz. Rathore first laid eyes on the eight-year-old Nagarkoti at a maidan in Jaipur. But rather than his bowling, it was Kamlesh's fielding that attracted Rathor's attention.

 

 

"The ground was a bit bumpy, but here was small kid not misfielding a single ball. He also moved so swiftly so I decided to enquire about him" Rathore explains in Hindi.

 

 

The kid's name was 'Kamlesh' and he had come to the ground with his brother. Son of an army officer, Kamlesh's father had decided to shift his family to Rajasthan in seek of better education for his two boys.

 

 

So impressed was Rathore with Kamlesh, he asked his older brother to enroll the young man into the Sanskar Academy in Jaipur, where Rathore is a still a senior coach. "He was the fastest bowler not only in his age group, but also quicker than guys 1-2 years older than him", Rathore says.

 

 

Rathore, a medium pacer in his hay days, realised immediately that young Kamlesh had all the right attributes to becoming a fast bowler and advised the youngster to strive for excellence because he had the ability to make it big.

 

 

"From the outset, he would run in smoothly, then jump and his right hand would go from his right ear past his left hip in a flash. Uska inswing or reverse swing bohot bhari tha (his inswing and reverse swing were lethal)." Nagarkoti would spend as many as 3-4 days a week at the academy honing his skills and also playing participating in some youth matches.

 

 

"He would constantly 'clean bowl' many people in our matches. I remember a time, he got 5-6 wickets of the top-order and all of them he hit the stumps" Rathore says.

 

 

By the time he was 13, Rathore decided to send him to state U-14 selection trails. But like all young kids growing up Nagarkoti suffered a setback and for the first time, Rathore witnessed a sense of doubt creeping into the kid's mind.

 

 

"When I first sent him for the Rajasthan U14 cricket team trials - He was not selected unfortunately - so then he came back and said 'are you sure I have what it takes for me to go to next level - when will they select me'," Rathore revealed.

 

 

"I told him 'don't get nervous, we will work harder' and it's only the under 14 level - there are plenty who get selected now but don't prosper when it matters, like at the U16 or even the U19 level. So take it as a setback and use it as motivation, we will work harder."

 

 

A key advice Nagarkoti would take on board from Rathore during this setback is that having raw pace and a good inswinger might not cut it and he had to further enhance his skill set, as well as his accuracy.

 

 

"I taught him just to hold his action ever so slightly at the top, so he could start bowling the outswinger. At the same time I told him you have the pace but you have to be more accurate." Rathore added.

 

By the time Nagarkoti tried his luck again for the Under 14 team in Rajasthan, he was more of a complete package and was a regular in the Rajasthan U14, U16 and then the U19 team.

 

 

Selected in the India U19 camp for the first time at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, a member of the current U19 team told Cricbuzz how they all stopped to watch this youngster bowl in the nets.

 

 

"He hurled a couple of bouncers and followed it up with superb yorker that castled the stumps. He looked really quick and some of the guys said - he was very hard to face," said the source who preferred not be named.

 

 

"Importantly, he seemed like a really good listener and a good learner. Some of the boys would constantly have the headphones in their ears and glued to their phones, but he was different - a shy guy who was on a mission," he said.

 

 

On a mission, he was - picked as part of the India U19 team's tour to England, Nagarkoti was the leading wicket-taker and was also part of the India U23 team for the Asia cup, a tournament in which he delivered a ball at 143km/h.

 

 

Last year Nagarkoti debuted for Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition in India, and took a hat-trick against Gujarat. Standing at mid-on, former Indian bowler and Rajasthan captain, Pankaj Singh, recalled the experience.

 

 

"I said you need to target the stumps initially, because for a new batsmen it's difficult to get used to him - so by the time he reads you it will take him few balls, so use that surprise element in your favour"

 

 

With each of the next three balls Nagarkoti had managed to shatter the stumps.

 

 

"He is a really quick learner - even in that few games I played with as the captain of Rajasthan, I used to be at mid-on and tell him how to get that ball to reverse or how to bowl to a certain batsmen, and what I observed was what we were talking about he was able to execute."

 

 

"Not many can do that, it means he knows his bowling and his action inside out." Pankaj said.

 

 

As Rathore once told the young Kamlesh 'you should understand your action and know what causes the ball to inswing or outswing.'

 

 

Now the whole world is studying that - his aesthetic action and the phenomenal pace he generates on a constant basis. At the end of the day, if you can get a West Indian fast bowler from the 80's 'salivating' about your bowling mechanics you must be doing something right.

 

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/99670/wiry-framed-kamlesh-nagarkoti-india-under-19-cricket-team-pacer-turning-heads-with-thundering-pace

 

He is originally Uttarakhandi. Both Him and Pant played for Rajasthan Juniors.  

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mancalledsting Newbie

mancalledsting

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Nagarkoti reminds me of Dale Steyn. Ironic thing is, these guys quicker than our first team pacers. Blood them into international cricket straight away. Don't waste them in Ranji. Let them learn on the job, like Pakistan do with their best pacers. Credit goes to @express bowling, he was the first to scout and tout this guy. 

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rkt.india Grand Master

rkt.india

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Just now, Singh bling said:

Much of the under 19 talent never reach senior level  , Unmukt chand and Harmeet Singh are prime examples

real talent does, early or late. Unmukt has not retired. he is still just 24. He cna still make it to Indian team like Dhawan did. Most players playing in this Indian team have come through U19 ranks.

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rkt.india Grand Master

rkt.india

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13 minutes ago, mancalledsting said:

What were the issues? 

with regards to atittude, u19 success went into his head so Mumbai did not pick him.  he tried to play for other state. he got selected but they too did not play him then came back to Mumbai and they played but was not that good, got dropped, then he again changed the state and played for another state.

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mancalledsting Newbie

mancalledsting

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30 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

with regards to atittude, u19 success went into his head so Mumbai did not pick him.  he tried to play for other state. he got selected but they too did not play him then came back to Mumbai and they played but was not that good, got dropped, then he again changed the state and played for another state.

he seemed to be an amazing LAS, who could turn the ball on Aussie tracks considerably. Ian Chappell wanted him in the national side straight away and said he would immediately perform better than any current spinner in world cricket. would be as waste just to discard him to the sideline. 

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MCcricket Apprentice

MCcricket

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32 minutes ago, nitinbwj said:

He needs to work on his action. Looks a little dodgy.

Lol r u serious, when all commentators n guys like Bishop n all r going gaga over his action, bio mechanics , release n follow thru u wanna tell the contrary, u gotta be joking, his arm is as straight A's can be, wonder what number glasses u wear or r they tinted?

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nitinbwj Grand Master

nitinbwj

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35 minutes ago, MCcricket said:

Lol r u serious, when all commentators n guys like Bishop n all r going gaga over his action, bio mechanics , release n follow thru u wanna tell the contrary, u gotta be joking, his arm is as straight A's can be, wonder what number glasses u wear or r they tinted?

Dude,that's my opinion and you are free to disagree.No need to get personal. 

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Rightarmfast Grand Master

Rightarmfast

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5 minutes ago, nitinbwj said:

Dude,that's my opinion and you are free to disagree.No need to get personal. 

Could you tell me which part of his action is dodgy? Are you suggesting its illegal or are you trying to say he is frail and hence putting too much effort and eventually will have injuries? 

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