If Munaf Patel could do it, so can Ishwar Choudhury. Also hailing from a village in Gujarat, the young fast bowler's selection for the Under-19 squad against Pakistan is a reward for his toil, overcoming financial hurdles and other difficulties. K Muralidharan of The Indian Express charts his rise.

Sent to Gandhinagar by his father—a debt-ridden farmer—to nurse his flailing academic when he was 12, this tall strapping lad’s cricket instincts drew him closer to the game at the Sports Authority of India.