For parents, success came with sacrifices

INDORE: One thing that straightaway comes to your mind when you meet the Ojhas — Vinay and Vandana­ — is their simplicity and that reflects in the way they have brought up their children Naman and Ananya. Both are extremely humble and down-to-earth, both had different dreams, different hobbies and different ambitions but the simplicity factor remained common throughout.
Naman had deep inclination towards cricket, while his brother Ananya, one year his junior, always loved her academics. It’s not easy having two children exactly opposite to each other but Vinay, a Bank employee, and Vandana, a school teacher, made sure both had an opportunity to prosper in their respective fields. The couple is now happy and content to see both their children have made name for themselves and doing well. While Ananya, an IIT passout, is settled in the US, while Naman has become an international player and is set to make his Test debut.
“When Naman started playing, it was a different time. You couldn't even think of taking up cricket as a profession. But he didn’t give us any options. He was so passionate about the game that there was no point telling him to focus on studies. For him, it was always cricket first and, after some time, we accepted that he was born to play cricket,” Vinay told TOI at their residence in Indore.
The parents had to make a lot of sacrifices for Naman. They had to shift Naman to Indore from Ratlam for better coaching and facilities. “I was a bit apprehensive about Naman taking up cricket as a profession but my friend Ravindra Pal Goswami convinced me to allow him to chase his dream. So I was prepared that if he wouldn’t get a job, we will open a shop for him. I was ready to invest my provident fund. But God was kind to us. Naman got good guidance at every step. He didn’t choose his coaches, his coaches chose him. He was very lucky to have such fantastic and committed coaches right from the outset,” Vinay said.
Naman never liked studies and would always scrape by with passing marks. He is not even a graduate. “When he was in Std X, some of his teachers told me that the Principal won’t allow him to appear for examination as he was sure Naman wouldn't get passing marks,” Vandana, who was a teacher in the same school where Naman studied, said.
“I told Vandana to tell Naman's teachers that I would OK if my son failed but I won’t allow him to be deprived of appearing in the examination. Finally, he managed to pass the exam and scored 50 marks in mathematics,” Vinay said.
Once Naman completed his SSC, he shifted base to Indore and his life changed for better. “His mentor Sanjay Jagdale was very angry with us. He wanted Naman to shift at Indore a year earlier but I wanted him to complete Std X. It was a different life for him and us once his SSC exams were over. It was all about ensuring that he got the best facilities. We would travel to Indore during weekends to take care of him and then later on his mother shifted with him so that he feels at home,” Vinay said.
Their sacrifices bore fruits as Naman broke into the star-studded Madhya Pradesh Ranji side at only 17. Later on, he got a job in Air India and from there on, Naman never looked back and is now on the cusp of a huge personal milestone. "It’s a massive moment not only for us but also for whole Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association to see him get that Test cap. People talk about luck but he deserved that luck," proud father Vinay said, adding that his son was born to play cricket.
He gives this example of his son's mad passion for the game. On the day of his engagement, Naman had his eye on the watch. Even as guests and his in-laws were having an elaborate lunch, the boy left home for cricket practice.
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