Tanish Suri’s heroics (75 off 88 balls) for the UAE against Sri Lanka in the Under-19 Asia Cup sparked an outpouring of emotion in the Suri household.
Even as Saurabh and Ruchi, Tanish’s parents, choked with emotion, the 18-year-old was jumping for joy in the team dressing room after the UAE’s historic win on Monday evening.
But it was only two years ago that Tanish was going through a lean phase with the bat.
Saurabh, his father and his biggest supporter, asked Siby KM, the head coach at B360 Cricket Academy in Al Quoz, Dubai, to help Tanish get back on track.
Having put a successful steel fabrication business on the line to see Tanish fulfil his dreams as a cricketer, Suri wanted to see his son on top of his game.
Siby agreed to train him for a month.
That initial month-long association turned into a blooming partnership that neither the Suris nor Siby would forget for the rest of their lives.
Siby instilled the value of technique in Tanish’s batting and also helped him develop an expansive range of shots.
The results of which were visible at the ICC Academy ground in Dubai as Tanish showed the technique to deal with the Lankan bowlers before showcasing his superb shotmaking during that match-turning knock of 75.
“It’s a very beautiful and very emotional moment for us. It’s the result of many years of hard work and sacrifices. There have been many heartbreaks along the way, but we never gave up on that dream” Saurabh told the Khaleej Times.
Saurabh says his heart is filled with gratitude for all the coaches who helped his son in this journey.
“Prosanta Chanda taught him how to hold the bat when he was just four at DPS Dubai. Then veteran coaches like Shahzad Altaf (YTCA Academy) and Gopal Jasapara (G Force Cricket Academy) have always given him immense support. But in the last two years, it’s Siby who turned his fortunes around,” Saurabh said.
A talented wicketkeeper-batsman who made a name for himself in age-group cricket with his prolific run-scoring, Tanish was grappling with a few technical errors that crept into his game.
But Saurabh never gave up hope, always looking for the best coach to find the solutions for his son.
“My whole business is based in Dubai, but I made a lot of sacrifices. I took him to India where we stayed for many months,” he said.
But little did he know that the right coach was right here in Dubai.
“I made some technical changes in his batting. His timing and power game have improved,” Siby told the Khaleej Times.
“He is a versatile shotmaker now who can now easily hit those big sixes!”
Siby reckons Tanish is meant for even bigger things.
“He has the potential to play Test cricket, he is that good,” the veteran coach said.
But Saurabh refuses to look too far ahead.
“A lot of experts have said that my son could be a future Test player. I don’t know that because I am not an expert. I am just an ordinary father who will always go the extra mile to help his son,” he said.
Saurabh even built cricket pitches in the backyard of his Dubai villa where Tanish and his younger brother, Uddish, a talented all-rounder who is already in the Under-16 and Under-19 UAE camp, train every day.
“My kids have not lived their childhood because all their childhood, when other kids were going for movies or parties, my kids were only playing cricket and training all the time,” he said.
“So I thought if my kids haven’t lived their childhood, then at least they should get rewards in return for what they have done.
“This always makes me emotional because childhood never comes back.
“So I told my sons that until I am there, there is no need for them to worry about anything. They just need to keep working hard on their game!”