Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman Sumit Kumar has revealed how a case of mistaken identity led to a highly embarrassing and heartbreaking situation for him and his family. The 28-year-old as well as his family believed that he was signed up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 1 crore during the IPL 2024 action.
His photo and name popped up on the TV when his family members were glued to the screen. Sumit Kumar had registered himself at a base price of Rs 20 lakhs and Delhi Capitals signed him for Rs 1 crore. His emotional mother called him to tell him about his first-ever IPL contract.
Hailing from Bokaro, Sumit Kumar honed his skills under the wings of the legendary MS Dhoni. He made his first-class debut for Jharkhand in 2015 before recently moving to Nagaland due to a lack of opportunities. So far, he has played 20 first-class, 26 List A and 21 T20 matches in his career.
Sumit Kumar’s delight turns into despair:
While Sumit Kumar and his family members were delighted after he bagged his maiden IPL contract, the happiness was short-lived. Soon after the auction, he was left shocked when he noticed Delhi Capitals’ Instagram post featuring another Sumit Kumar from Haryana.
“My mother was so happy. She was continuously praying for me. But how is this possible? I agree that the names can be the same but what about the photo that was flashed on the television screen? My photo was there, my name was there,” Sumit Kumar told TimesofIndia.com.
“I failed to console my mother. She was so emotional. She was so happy after seeing my name and photo on the television screen and then this shocking incident happened. Delhi Capitals are a big team. I didn’t expect them to play with a cricketer’s emotions. My family and I felt too bad about it.
“They put my photo on their Instagram handle as well. They searched for me. They tagged me as well. When I got the notification, I was 100 percent confident. But when they deleted it after a couple of hours, I was confused and shocked,” he added.
Speaking further, Sumit Kumar explained that the entire situation turned embarrassing for him and his family. After receiving congratulatory messages from all around, he had to explain the matter to the media and the neighbors.
“It was an embarrassing moment for me and my family. I got a lot of congratulatory messages. Friends and cricketers sent screenshots of the auction that had my photo. But it all turned into a big embarrassment. I can’t tell you how my family and I felt,” he said.
