Indian trio in Dutch team set for ‘homeland’ debut

BENGALURU: You can take Indians out of India, but you can rarely take cricket out of them. When Netherlands open their campaign against Pakistan in Hyderabad on Friday, three key players of the Dutch squad —Teja Nidamanuru,

Vikramjit Singh

and

Aryan Dutt

will fulfil their families’ long-standing dream of watching them play a World Cup in India. It is only incidental that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men’s 2011 World Cup title triumph was a catalyst that fuelled the trio’s cricket journey.
While Teja was born in Vijayawada and Vikramjit in Jalandhar, Aryan traces his roots to his Delhi-born father.
“I’m an Andhra boy,” said the 29-year-old Teja, who spent his first six years in Vijayawada before his parents migrated to New Zealand. Having failed to seal his place in the first-class set up in Auckland, Teja, who has a double major is sports management and marketing, had a stint with Kampong Cricket Club in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2019. Before going back to New Zealand, he went on an Indian holiday during which one phone call proved to be life-changing.
“I moved to the Netherlands on a work visa for an IT company. I needed a backup if my cricket career didn’t take off. But it panned out well. I grew through the system and I now have a residency and opportunity to represent my second home on the biggest stage,” added Teja, who earlier this year joined the Dutch cricket board as a project manager.

Although Vikramjit moved to Amsterdam as a five-year-old, among the many things Indian that stayed with him is his love for cricket and Punjabi food. His backyard was his first cricket field and his father Harpreet Singh his initial teammate and player.
But watching Dhoni lift the 2011 World Cup changed the course of the left-handed opener's perception of cricket.
“India’s World Cup win was defining. It was my first understanding about the sport, the emotions and what it means to fans. That inspired me. There isn't much cricket played in the Netherlands, being in the World Cup helps not just us but for the associate countries,” said the 20-year-old, who is a fan of Quinton de Kock.

On making his World Cup debut in India, Vikramjit, who trains with Taruwar Kohli in the off season, said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s such a huge stage and my family always wanted to watch me play the World Cup in India and they will turn out in numbers to cheer for us.”
Icing on the cake for Teja, a Virat Kohli fan, is making his Cup debut in the region he was born.
“I have extended family in Hyderabad and they are keen to watch me play. My mother and sister will also come. What more can I ask for?” stated the middle-order batter who scored a game-changing 76-ball 111 against West Indies in the qualifier.
Aryan, who has been Vikramjit’s teammate through age-group cricket, switched from football to cricket after watching India win the 2011 title.
“It was always my dream to play in India. To make my international debut in India at the World Cup will be very special. I’m very excited that my family too is travelling to cheer for us,” said the 20-year-old off-spinner, who has a meeting with Dhoni on his bucket list.