Once a cricket lover who chose bowling because he couldn’t afford a bat or other cricket gear. Now, he might appear donning a KKR jersey in the upcoming IPL season. Sakib Hussain sewed a tale of talent, grit, and dreams from a small town in Bihar. 

As the rumour suggests, Kolkata Knight Riders have recognised the spark in the young pacer, and they might pick him up again in the upcoming auction, and the future seems promising. Although he didn’t play a match in his first season, he was part of the IPL champion team—a taste of the big leagues that only sharpened his hunger. 

Sakib recently came to Bengal for a Ranji Trophy match against Bengal, only for rain-soaked pitches to cancel the game. Waiting in Bihar’s team hotel in Kalyani, he shared his journey of resilience and hope, fuelled by a pure love for cricket.

While speaking to the ABP Ananda website, Sakib revealed, "I never thought I’d become a professional cricketer. I started playing just for fun," Sakib shared. "Initially, I played with a tennis ball and joined the Tunagiri Cricket Academy in Gopalganj, where I received a lot of encouragement, and that’s when I started moving forward.”

While talking about his passion for bowling, he disclosed, “Not at all. Growing up with financial hardships, I couldn’t afford expensive batting gear, so I turned to bowling—all I needed was a ball. I even borrowed shoes," Sakib shared. "The cricket officials in Gopalganj, my coach Robin Singh, and Mukesh Bhaiya all encouraged me. With their support, I’ve come this far.”. 

After performing well for the Tunagiri Academy, Sakib earned a spot in Bihar’s U-19 team. His strong performance there led to a call-up for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 squad. Impressing with his bowling, the right-arm pacer was then invited to bowl in the Chennai Super Kings nets. "I spent a year with CSK, and after a trial, I got a chance with Kolkata Knight Riders," Sakib said.

The cricketer stated he hasn’t changed much after the exposure, “Life hasn’t changed; I’m still the same. I just used my IPL earnings to repair our house and bought my father a Scorpio car.”

“KKR just told me to stay fit before the auction. They’ll handle the rest.”