New Delhi, October 19 (IANS). Karnataka's off-spinner and powerful lower order batsman Krishnappa Gautam is also called 'Bhajji'. Bhajji…a name that Harbhajan Singh has taken forever in Indian cricket. Harbhajan Singh has also been the idol of Krishnappa Gautam. Due to this attachment to Harbhajan Singh, he not only got the name “Bhajji” but also copied Harbhajan's bowling action a lot. This effect of Gautam's influence on Harbhajan bore fruit in the year 2008.
Born on October 20, 1988 in Bengaluru, Krishnappa Gautam was called to bowl in the nets for the Australian team in Bengaluru in 2008. The reason was that his bowling style was very similar to Harbhajan. Harbhajan's admirer Gautam was shaped by the great bowler Erapalli Prasanna. At the age of 24, he played his first first-class match for Karnataka against Uttar Pradesh in 2012.
However, it was a period of ups and downs in his career along with his performance. But in 2017, Gowtham emerged as one of Karnataka's leading spinners. During this time, he changed his bowling style and returned to Karnataka's Ranji team in 2016 on the basis of his excellent performance in the Karnataka Premier League. During this time, he was selected in the India A team for a tour match against Australia in 2017.
Gautam did not let this opportunity slip away and played a brilliant inning of 74 runs in 68 balls. However, in September 2017, he was dropped from the India A team due to indiscipline. After this he also apologized. On his 2017–18 Ranji Trophy debut, he took seven wickets in two innings and also scored his maiden first-class century in Karnataka's memorable win against Assam.
Due to his all-round performance, Rajasthan Royals included him in their team in the 2018 auction by paying Rs 6.2 crore. Gautam has played a total of 36 matches in IPL. However, his dream was fulfilled in the year 2021, when he got a chance to debut for India against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium. In that match, Gautam played an inning of 2 runs in 3 balls at the lower order and while bowling, he took 1 wicket for 49 runs in 8 overs. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to play for Team India again.
On October 20, another sports legend of India, Manuel Frederick, was born. Manuel Frederick is a former Indian hockey player, who was an important member of the team that won the bronze medal at the Munich Olympics. He was the goalkeeper of this team. This medal of Manuel Frederick was very special because he became the first Keralite to win an Olympic medal. However, he could not get much recognition in Kerala at that time.
While he was born in Kerala, Karnataka proved to be his birthplace. After sports, he earned his living by coaching school children in Bengaluru. He also expressed his disappointment over the struggles he faced after his sporting life despite being an Olympic medallist.
In 2013, he once said, “I applied for the Dhyan Chand Award seven times, but never got it. It's the greatest honor in Indian hockey and I could have used the money that comes with it.” “
These words were enough to describe their helplessness and financial condition. But Manuel Frederick was always proud of his sporting career and the performance of the Indian team, which won the medal in Munich. Manuel Frederick said that even though the team could only get a bronze medal, it deserved the gold. That team was so good.
Finally, Frederick, born in Kannur in 1947, got a big recognition in the year 2019. When he was honored with the Dhyanchand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports.
–IANS
AS/
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