‘Destructive’ Nakrani aims to  tick boxes for Cricket Cranes

Dinesh Nakrani can literally be too much. A man with a no holds barred approach. He lives his life the same way he plays his cricket – always up for a challenge and a fight when under the pump.
But like the biblical proverb derived from the Gospel of Matthew says, “if you live by the sword, you die by the sword” – Nakrani knows no other way.

Having first appeared onto the Ugandan scene as a tape-ball night cricket global roving mercenary in 2016, the left-hander has taken the local and global audiences by storm with both his batting and bowling exploits, and is currently likened to the retired but once dynamic Kenneth Kamyuka.
Nakrani might be the talk of town but things have not been all rosy in his cricketing career.

Found on the wrong side of the law after avoidable clashes with fellow players and authorities saw him get ignored for national team engagements soon after he qualified to play for Uganda on residency in 2018 at International Cricket Council (ICC) Division IV World Cricket League in Malaysia.

The former Saurashtra (a peninsular region of Gujarat in India located on the Arabian Sea Coast) player is hot tempered, something that has seen ICC officials summon him and Team Uganda management for ‘disciplinary meetings’ to remind him about the spirit of the game, but it is his big match temperament and penchant to deliver decisive performances wherever he plays that makes him a priceless asset.

Good early signs
When he made his ICC debut for Uganda at the World T20 Africa Region Qualifier B in Rwanda 2018, Nakrani added oomph to the batting lineup that had consisted of grinders with 320 runs at an average of 80 per innings.

His knocks included 88 not out against Kenya in the opener and an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls in the rematch victory over Kenya to complement his tournament haul of five wickets.
“I am happy to play for this beautiful country and call Uganda home,” said the 30-year-old.

“When I consulted my wife (Dipti Nakrani), she immediately asked me to say yes because she knows cricket is my first love. She knew this would help me live my dream of playing international cricket.”
When he first arrived in Kampala, Nakrani had the much-calmer Ronak Patel, also a Ugandan international who helped him settle in well.

“He is my big brother,” Nakrani says of the cheerful Patel, a man who knows how to hold an innings together. 
“Rooney (read Ronak) tells me to take life easy when things are tough. He translates the hard English phrases when the coach (Laurence Mahatlane) communicates to the team.

“I want to wholeheartedly thank Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) for believing in me. More so, we are grateful to UCA Trustee Ranmal Keshwala, who through his franchise – Keshwala Group – has accommodated and fed us from the first day in 2016. 

“Mr Ranmal is our father here, always listens to our cries and has made sure life is comfortable so that we concentrate on playing cricket,” he added of the sports mogul.

Scripting history
No sports journey yields fruit without humility and hard work. Five years down the road, Nakrani’s true potential is starting to be realised with the immensely talented all-rounder being the proud owner of three ICC T20 individual records.

His figures of 6 wickets for 7 runs in 4 overs in the 10-wicket win against Lesotho on October 19 equaled Indian fast bowler Deepak Chahar’s record, achieved in 3.2 overs, for the best bowling figures in T20 international cricket history.

Nakrani is also the No.1 ranked bowler with the most wickets – 31 – in a calendar year and is ranked seventh for most wickets – 22 . He is also the second Ugandan to pick five-wicket haul in a T20Is after Deus Muhumuza, who snared 5 for 13 against Qatar in Doha in February 2020.

“I’m able to do this because I am a proud member of Team Uganda,” said the man whose dream is to play at the T20 World Cup and help Uganda attain One Day International (ODI) status.

Nakrani picked up three Man of Match awards in Kigali last week; Best Bowler with 21 wickets and Man of Series trophy alongside a championship medal for an invincible total haul of six accolades.

Mature & better
Such feats would make the old Nakrani cocky but the man who idolises legendary India captain MS Dhoni is now mature and speaks in a calculated manner.

“We (Uganda) still have a lot to do. We must keep our focus. We must put right what we did wrong in the past. We can qualify for everything we want if we continue treating ourselves and playing like professionals. We must be willing to take instructions,” said Nakrani, who feels he let down Uganda when Kenya edged the Cricket Cranes by one run at the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Final in May 2019 at Lugogo because of failing to execute ‘simple instructions’ from coach Steve Tikolo.

Nakrani largely remains a fascinating enigma because he is still undone. But how does the technical team solve a puzzle like Nakrani?

“Dinho (Dinesh) is very fiery, competitive and never wants to lose,” opens up Cricket Cranes team manager Jackson Kavuma.
“His discipline has drastically changed because of how we engage him and make him aware of the code of conduct that binds us all and its consequences once you cross the line. He is an X-Factor guy who is important for us.”

The name Dinesh means; ‘Son of the Sun’ and there is every hope that the destructive ace will help the Cricket Cranes star shine ever so brightly and forthwith bask in the glory of their wildest dreams.

At a glance
Full Name: Dinesh Nakrani Kumar
Born: August 1, 1991
Nickname: Dinho/Dinya
Local Club: Kutchi Tigers/Keshwala Boyz
Batting Style: Left-hand bat
Bowling Style: Left-arm medium
Highest Score: 102* vs. Kenya (ICC WT20 Africa Region Qualifier B, Rwanda 2018)
Best Bowling: 6/7 vs. Lesotho (ICC T20 WC Sub Regional Qualifier A, Kigali 2021)
Debut: ICC World T20 Africa Region Qualifier B, Rwanda 2018
Jersey No: 19
Idol: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India)

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