Ansh Patel, who made his ODI (One Day International) debut for Canada recently against Nepal, says that “Vadodara has been a huge part of my life.” The 22-year-old cricketer, who spent 12 years in Vadodara to hone his skills, wanted to play for India but after the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decided a few months back that it will allow only those with Indian passports in the tournaments organised by the cricket board, Ansh’s dreams of representing India were shattered.He tells us, “While I was born in India, I hold a Canadian passport and have OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) status. I was sad when I realised that I won’t be able to play for India because it was one of my biggest dreams. But when one door closes, another one opens. I shifted to Canada three months ago and after I did well at a local tournament (he took 17 wickets in five games, was the Player of the Series and won three Player of the Match awards), I was selected to play for Canada.”
The all-rounder, who picked up two wickets in his debut international match (ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2) against Nepal, adds, “I just got to know before the toss that I would be making my debut and I was excited. I have played a lot of competitive cricket and so, I wasn’t too nervous. I trusted my skills and just decided to go for it. Cricket is becoming popular in Canada now and the infrastructure is getting better. My biggest dream is to represent Canada at a big ICC (International Cricket Council) event like the World Cup.”

‘I miss Vadodara’s food’

Ansh, who shifted to Vadodara in 2012 and has represented Team Baroda at the under-14, under-16, under-19 and under-23 levels, tells us, “I am a big foodie and I miss Vadodara’s food. When you spend more than a decade in one city, it becomes an integral part of your life. Training in Vadodara helped me a lot in honing my skills. I remember meeting Anshuman (Gaekwad) sir in 2010 when I was just eight years old, and he was the one who told my dad that we should shift to India for my training. Kiran (More) sir also guided me a lot in Vadodara. While growing up, I used to watch a lot of videos of Shane Warne.”

‘My family has made huge sacrifices for me’

Talking about the constant support from his family, Ansh shares, “My father had a dream job in Canada, but he did not think twice before quitting it and coming to India. My family has made huge sacrifices for me. It’s not easy to move to another country and start afresh. Even my elder brother, who used to play cricket earlier, has been a huge support. My career has been full of ups and downs, and there were times when I did not make it to the team. But my family taught me to never give up. It’s not easy to stay away from my family now, but I have become used to it.”

‘Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More have played a huge role in Ansh’s success’

Ansh’s father Pradip Patel, who shifted to Vadodara in 2012, shares, “Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More have played a huge role in Ansh’s success; I call them his godfathers. I spotted his talent early and even Anil Kumble praised him when he saw Ansh’s bowling during a trial; that’s why Ansh was picked up for the IPL (by Team Punjab) in 2022. There are a lot of offers for Ansh from different professional leagues, but we want to stay focused right now and not rush into anything.”

India-born cricketers who played for other countries

Nasser Hussain (England)-was born in Madras (now Chennai)
Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)-was born in Ludhiana
Ajaz Patel (New Zealand)-was born in Mumbai
Vikramjit Singh (Netherlands)-was born in Cheema Khurd, Punjab
Anil Teja Nidamanuru (Netherlands)-was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh