The 20-year-old Shankar Sajjan is a spirited, differently-abled cricketer or as he himself says ‘God-gifted’. Sajjan recently bowled to Afghan batsmen in the practice sessions and impressed them with the amount of spin he generated. But the leg-spinner from Bijapur was spotted by legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble in 2015 under the talent hunt ‘Spin Stars’.
The hunt was widespread as it was held across 80 towns. 110 bowlers were selected. Out of them, 20 were selected in the initial list after they demonstrated their skills. Kumble added him to the list as a special case.
Here’s what Kumble had to say about Sajjan’s talent,
“I was really amazed at his spirit.We didn’t pick him in the final 20 list but we will be having him in our camp as a special case. This reflects true India. Underlying talent in every walk of life. All one needs is an opportunity. I am glad I could provide one.”
He was born with a chromosome imbalance which resulted in his deformed hands. However, he considers it as ‘God’s gift’ rather than a disability.
