Meet Sourabh Kumar – all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh who quit his job in the Indian Air Force to pursue the India dream

Sourabh Kumar was named in the Indian squad for the second Test match against England as a replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja.

Sourabh Kumar was a member of the India A-side that recently toured South Africa. (Image: Instagram)

New Delhi: 2024 started well for Sourabh Kumar as the Uttar Pradesh all-rounder was named in the Indian national squad for the second Test against England, starting on February 2 in Visakhapatnam. Sourabh was named in the squad after Prime Minister all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the second Test due to a hamstring problem he suffered on Day 4 of the first Test in Hyderabad. Notably, this is not the first time that Sourabh has earned an India call-up. In 2022, he was included in the squad for the tour of Bangladesh but did not get a match. With Jadeja not playing, Sourabh is likely to make his debut for India depending on the nature of the pitch in Vizag.

But who is this Sourabh Kumar?

Born in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh to a middle-class family, Sourabh has similar traits to Jadeja. He bats left-handed and also bowls slowly, orthodoxly with the left arm. He even left his job in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to follow his passion for cricket and dream of representing India at the highest level. Sourabh is a handy bat in the middle order and has an average of over 27. In 68 first-class matches for Uttar Pradesh, the left-hander has so far scored 2061 runs since his debut in 2014. With the ball, the 31-year-old has taken 290 wickets .

Sourabh came into limelight when he scored 304 runs and scalped 17 wickets in his debut Ranji Trophy season. He started with Services in the BCCI domestic season in his first year but shifted base to his state side Uttar Pradesh after quitting his central government job with the IAF. Gradually, Sourabh developed as an all-round bowler and emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Uttar Pradesh in the 2017-18 season.

His domestic performances also helped him secure an IPL contract, first with the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant and the Punjab Kings. However, he is yet to play a match in the cash-rich league. He recently caught the attention of BCCI selectors with 77 runs and six wickets for India A against England Lions in Ahmedabad. His India A teammates Washington Sundar and Sarfaraz Khan were also named in the Indian squad for the second Test match against England.

India's updated Test squad for the second Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.