No success without struggle - young cricketer Rajpal Singh Solanki talks about his journey

The success story of cricketer Rajpal Singh Solanki is the kind that inspires millions of youngsters across the country. The young man, who hails from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as one of the most promising cricketing stars in recent times. Born to Jujhar Singh Darbar, a farmer, Rajpal had to go through a lot of difficulties in life before he finally achieved success. 

The young cricketer looks back at his struggle phase with a lot of pride.

“In the town, I was born and grew up in, there were hardly any facilities that would facilitate the growth of a person who wants to become a professional cricketer. Despite that, I kept training myself and practised with whatever limited resources I had. As a teenager, I had to travel 50 kilometres from my town to another town in which a training centre was situated. Because of being overweight over a certain period of time, a lot of people around me advised to leave cricket and try something else”, he says.

Despite the challenges he faced, he never gave up on his dreams.

“I think one should always respond positively to constructive criticism. I identified my weaknesses and worked on them. My family, especially my brother, was extremely encouraging of my decision to become a cricketer and supported me at every step. When I was in high school, my sports teacher also encouraged me to carve out a career in sports”, he further elaborates.

Like most cricketers, Rajpal has an idol too.

“I have always been hugely inspired by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Apart from being a great cricketer, he has been a very inspiring figure to so many of us. He went through many highs and lows in his career but focussed on getting better at his skills. He is a legend in the true sense.”

Rajpal has high ambitions and he does not mince words when he talks about them.

“I want to play for Team India in the next five years. I have been working hard and every day, I push myself a little more so that one day I manage to achieve my dream. I want to make my country proud”, he says on a parting note.