Vipul Narigara, who is largely considered one of Gujarat’s most promising young player, has risen to prominence from humble roots. Hailing from a middle-class family, Vipul has made his name as a right-hand batsman and a very effective right-arm off-break bowler. Life has not been easy for Vipul, he took up odd jobs in restaurants and even as a ice cream factory labour in order to earn money to put into his cricket.
The investment and continuous perseverance paid dividends as he was picked up for Valiant Cricket team – one of the most famous clubs in Gujarat and was also the skipper of the side for a period of 3 years. In March 2014, he was appointed as captain of Valiantan Volvano Vadodra in the famed Valiant Premier League at Bhopal.
He holds few of the great captaincy records as he won the title of the Wai Wai Cricket series against PCC in Pokhara, Nepal for the first time in 2015. In the process, he also became the first captain to win an overseas series from Gujarat.
He continues to grow and has recently won a number of trophies and tournaments with his side. He has also made a splash with his show ‘Fan Ke Funday with Vipul Narigara’.
Not only Vipul, but another emerging talent in Richi Shukla has got everyone talking in Gujarat. He is a former captain of the Valiant Cricket Team and currently leads the Bhopal Titans and the Valiant Super Six team. His side was crowned the Super Six Challenge 2019 champion in Malaysia recently and the skipper led by example.
In season 3 of the Valiant Premier League, Richi played a pivotal role in the journey of his side Bhopal Titans. Such was his prolific form that he took his side almost single-handedly to the final. A superb knock of 61 had all the right notes, but despite this sensational performance, he could script victory for his side as the Titans fell short by just 5 runs.
There is a lot of talent in the domestic circuit and in the grassroots of this county and Vipul and Richi are shining examples of how talent can bloom if given an opportunity to shine. Both these players have now established their names in Gujarat and with the upcoming challenges, they will be under the spotlight – and if their temperament is anything to go by, expect few more memorable performances.