Life can surprise you in many unexpected ways, and currently, the prime example of it is Lokesh Kumar. This 29-year-old Swiggy delivery guy who was going about his usual business delivering food on Monday now finds himself in the Netherlands team as a support staff member. Lokesh is selected as the net bowler for the Dutch team as they prepare for the World Cup.
Lokesh, who has been working with Swiggy for the last four years, was selected as the net bowler after the Netherlands Cricket Team posted an advertisement on social media, wanting net bowlers to prepare for the spin test for the World Cup. Currently, the Dutch team is in Alur, and Lokesh has joined the squad.
A left-arm Chainaman bowler, Lokesh was selected after about 10,000 applicants had been assessed by the Netherlands team.
The applicants sent a video on WhatsApp, and among them, the Dutch team found Lokesh’s video very interesting. They felt the Swiggy delivery guy would help them prepare well on the Indian spin-friendly pitches during the World Cup.
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After being selected as the net bowler, Lokesh could not control his emotions and expressed gratitude to the Dutch team. “This is one of the most precious moments of my career. I am yet to even play in the TNCA third-division league.
I played in the fifth division for four years, and I have registered for fourth-division outfit Indian Oil (RO) S&RC for the ongoing season. After being picked by the Netherlands as a net bowler, I feel that my talent has finally been recognized,” Lokesh said to TOI.
“The Netherlands team members welcomed me with open arms; there was an induction ceremony for the net bowlers before the beginning of the session. The players told us: ‘Feel free, this is your team’. I already feel that I am part of the Dutch family,” Lokesh added.
Lokesh felt supremely confident about being selected in the Dutch team as support staff because of the intrigue surrounding Chinaman and mystery spin bowlers. The 29-year-old also said working as a Swiggy excitive has indirectly helped him grow as a cricketer. After finishing college, Lokesh’s entire focus was on cricket. However, after 2018, when things did not pan out the same way, Lokesh took the delivery job at Swiggy.
On weekends, the 29-year-old indulges in cricket. Lokesh plays the TNCA league matches.