New Delhi: India’s limited-overs skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday heaped praise on school boy Pranav Dhanawade, who created history by playing a record-breaking unbeaten knock of 1009, while playing in the Bhandari Trophy.
On the eve of Indian team’s departure for the Australia tour, Dhoni stated, “It’s not a joke to score so many runs. It is serious business in any conditions and ground keeping in mind the age. It’s tremendous, it is important to improve. He must be a very special kid. I would have gotten bored. He’s calculating his batting. It is something that is very rare.”
Dhanawade smashed 59 sixes and 129 boundaries in the colossal innings.
India batsman Ajinkya Rahane too paid tribute to 15-year-old teenager by saying that his knock was massive and hoped that he would play for India some day.
“It’s a massive feat to do this. He has started well. 1009 runs take long to say it but to achieve an individual score like this is a big achievement. I hope he plays with us someday. He should just focus on doing well,” Rahane told to ANI.
Former Indian cricketers – VVS Laxman and Sanjay Manjrekar – also looked mesmerised with the marathon knock as they took to Twitter to praise the youngster.
Pranav started playing cricket at the tender age of five and is coached by Mobin Sheikh.
The 15-year-old, whose father is an auto-rickshaw driver represents Pranab KC Gandhi School, Kalyan in U-16 cricket.
Maharashtra government has also decided to bear coaching and education expenses of Pranav from this point on.