C hamps of Devgarh by Aditya Sharma has an old world charm to it. The motley group of small town characters, their hangout places and style of talking, all are reminiscent of R. K. Narayan’s Swami and Friends books. The main character Aakash too reminds one of Swami.
The story unfolds in the fictional town of Devgarh, where the Star Eleven cricket team studying in the Holy Mission School, want to prove that they are the cricketing champions of the town. They are often pitted against the mighty Lajpat Rai Sports School Team; the players of this formidable team are not averse to sledging or faking their ages to take part in tournaments.
Captained by Ajay, and with Aakash as the vice-captain, the team has staked its claim to becoming the best team of their town. Aakash who is nicknamed Marshall after the West-Indian fast bowler is also the star of the team as well as the decision maker. He decides that to win more matches they need to buy a cricket kit which is expensive. So the team has to cut back on their monthly expenses and pool in their resources to buy a cricket kit, to become the best.
The best team There is one team member — Gupta Uncle, who is in his forties and is fulfilling his childhood desire to play cricket. That is why he is the Star Eleven team’s 12th man and the odd job man. From pooling in the maximum amount of money for their needs to getting the team a coach, Gupta Uncle does it all.
The Star Eleven team players manage to get themselves into all kinds of scrapes and spats at school. As the story unfolds you see how the team learn the value of hard work, team effort, determination and perseverance.
The book comes alive when the writer describes the cricket matches. The writer’s cricket experience comes into its own during the match scenes. For cricket lovers the book will come as a boon, with subtle tips on improving one’s game. Ved Prakash, a former player who unfortunately could not make it to the Ranji team, becomes the Star Eleven’s coach for the prestigious R.P Memorial Trophy. The ending is a case of justice delayed but not denied. The writer has woven several sub-plots into the main story. Each sub-plot highlights and brings home an important lesson in life.
What lets the book down is the style of writing which is mediocre in places. It looks as though the editing has clearly been given a miss. At several places there are glaring editing gaffes leaving the discerning reader in shock. But, the book survives the shortcomings and makes for an interesting read due to its story and characters who are endearing to say the least.
Champs Of Devgarh , Aditya Sharma, A Puffin original. Rs 199.
