How many times have we seen a cricketer become a politician? There are not many of them. The latest, though, is Lalu Prasad Yadav's son Tejaswi Yadav. He may now be the deputy chief minister of Bihar, but he was once a part of the Delhi Daredevils franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for four long years, during which he never got a chance to play.
The failed cricketer chose politics as the second option and followed in his father's footsteps, and a was on Friday sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Bihar.
Tejaswi left academics after the ninth standard and made up his mind to pursue cricket as a career. Not that he was a bad player, as he had made it to the the Delhi Under-19 team as well. He was also selected to play for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy, but he could not make a mark back then.
Tejaswi Yadav made his Ranji Trophy debut against Vidarbha and scored 20 runs in two innings in that match. He also bowled, but did not add any scalp to his name. Later, when he was picked by the Delhi Daredevils for the IPL, Tejaswi never made it to the playing XI. The deputy chief minister of Bihar admitted it was frustrating for him to sit on the bench and not play during his years at the Delhi-based franchise.
"It has been frustrating for me. Others have played but I am still waiting for my opportunity. But as much as I want to play, it's also about the right team combination and there are so many other good all-rounders. It has been nice to be in the company of so many international players, and it's good to share the dressing room with them," Tejaswi once told a leading Indian daily back in 2012.
The Bihar Cricket Association's affiliation was withdrawn by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instead it was given to Jharkhand Cricket Association. If Tejaswi manages to revive the fortunes of Bihar cricket, it will be better for the state that has not featured in the Ranji Trophy for the past 14 years.
