Lokesh, who has been working in the food delivery industry since 2018, was on Tuesday hand-picked as one of the four net bowlers by the Dutch side that had advertised for the role on social media.
A left-arm pacer-turned-chinaman, Lokesh was selected after the Netherlands management assessed about 10,000 bowlers from India, who had sent their entries by uploading videos on a mobile application.
“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 recognised,” Lokesh, who joined the Dutch camp on Wednesday, told 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 said he was confident that he would make the cut for the camp. “After seeing the advertisement, I was keen to give it a try. I felt that I would have an edge over others as there are not many chinaman bowlers in the country. Netherlands were looking for a mystery spinner. So, I decided to give it a try.” Lokesh said that working as a food delivery executive has been indirectly helping him grow as a cricketer.
“After my college days, my entire focus was on cricket. I spent four years on cricket. In 2018, I decided to take up a job. I have been with Swiggy for the last four years. I earn money only by delivering food; I do not have any other source of income. The work timings are flexible and I can take leave whenever I want to. We usually have TNCA league matches only on the weekends, so I work during the weekdays,” said Lokesh.
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