“Just the beginning,” says a proud father. For Surinder Amarnath, the short stint that his son Digvijay had in the Premier League tournament in Sri Lanka in the just-concluded season means the “world.”
A left-handed batsman like his father, and an off-spinner too, the 22-year-old played first-class cricket for the Badureliya Sports Club and made an impression in the four matches that he competed in.
A regular at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, he was spotted by a Sri Lankan coach who offered him the opportunity to play for his club. “I was delighted, but then I had not even played first-class cricket in India. How could I qualify for the assignment then? But the coach (Darshana Gamage) assured me that there were no restrictions and I just grabbed the chance,” said Digvijay, who aggregated 138 runs in four matches with a 62 against Kurunegala Youth Club being his highest.
According to Surinder Amarnath — who played 10 Tests, with a century on debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1976 — his son was keen on playing for a State team in India. “I would love to see him keep the family tradition alive,” said Surinder, son of Lala Amarnath and brother of Mohinder, both renowned names in the world of cricket.
