Kumar LR’s Journey: From Personal Tragedy to Cricket Stardom in Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 31: Kumar LR is one of the top contenders for the Purple Cap in the ongoing Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20. He has been instrumental in leading the Hubli Tigers to the semifinals, despite facing significant personal challenges.

In 2022, Kumar lost both his parents within a few months—his mother to blood cancer and his father to a stroke. This left him and his two sisters to fend for themselves. Reflecting on this period, Kumar said, “It was a very difficult period for me. Suddenly, it was just me and my two sisters, and we had to look out for ourselves.”

His mother had enrolled him in formal cricket training at the PET Cricket Academy in Mandya during his childhood, despite initially dissuading him from playing cricket. “She surprised me by enrolling me in cricket training, and I have not looked back since,” Kumar added.

Determined to honor his mother’s memory, Kumar aims to break into the Karnataka team across formats. “I want to make her proud, and that really motivates me to keep going forward and get better,” he shared.

Cricket has provided Kumar with the financial stability needed to support his family and contribute to his mother’s treatment. “Fortunately, cricket has given me some financial strength, which I could use for my mother’s treatment and to run my house,” he said.

This season, Kumar is competing for the Purple Cap in the Maharaja Trophy, trailing only his Hubli Tigers teammate, Manvanth Kumar, and Bengaluru’s Lavish Kaushal. Kumar’s 14 wickets include three three-wicket hauls. His performance in the final over against the Bengaluru Blasters, where he defended 11 runs, was crucial in setting up a historic triple-super-over win for the Hubli Tigers.

After a disappointing stint with the Bengaluru Blasters last season, Kumar faced criticism on social media for his lack of variations with the ball. “I told myself I must be able to win matches for the team. I tried to take the negative comments in the right spirit and committed to working on my variations,” he said.

Often compared to Brett Lee due to his similar bowling action, Kumar faced a setback with a lower back injury last year. He has been working with former Karnataka and India pacer Abhimanyu Mithun to refine his action and reduce the strain on his back. Kumar has also focused on enhancing his variations, drawing inspiration from tennis ball cricket.

His efforts have paid off, earning him 10 wickets in the death overs this season. He attributes his success to the positive atmosphere within the team. “The energy has been very good at the camp,” Kumar noted. “We did a lot of match scenarios and spot bowling, which gave me a lot of confidence, and the team really encouraged me.”

As the Maharaja Trophy enters the knockout phase, Kumar LR hopes to help the Hubli Tigers retain the title for another season.