Bishworjit KonthoujamNEW DELHI: When North East Zone pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam came into the attack during the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal against East Zone, all eyes were on the batter facing him - 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.The expectations were clear. Boundaries. Big hits. Perhaps even a few towering sixes.And Sooryavanshi did exactly what many expected from him. After playing out his first two balls, the young batter hit the Manipur pacer for two boundaries in a row. He had taken Konthoujam on.But the 30-year-old had the last laugh.Soon after being hit for the two fours, Konthoujam dismissed Sooryavanshi, ending the young star's stay at the crease. The pacer leapt into the air in celebration before receiving high-fives from his teammates.For many watching, it was just another wicket. For Bishworjit, however, the moment was a reminder of how far he had travelled. Because before he began troubling batters with a cricket ball, he was busy throwing punches in a boxing ring.The accidental cricketerBefore picking up a leather ball, Bishworjit Konthoujam wore boxing gloves. Jab. Cross. Hook. Uppercut.Boxing was his first love. He won medals at school and state-level competitions. He trained hard and dreamed of making a career in the sport.But there was another game he enjoyed - cricket.Like many youngsters in India, Bishworjit loved the game. However, he played only for fun. Whenever he found a group of children playing cricket in his village, he wanted to join them.Walking through the streets of Patsoi Part IV, his residence in Manipur, if he saw youngsters playing cricket, he would often stop and ask: “Ek ball karane do, please” - let me bowl just one ball.He played cricket whenever he had time away from his boxing training.“Cricket was always my second love after boxing. But I never imagined that one day I would leave boxing and become a cricketer,” Bishworjit told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“I give a lot of credit to Ronel sir. Whatever I am today is because of him. He saw something in me and pushed me towards cricket. Leaving boxing wasn't easy at all,” he said.One conversation changed everythingLeishangthem Ronel Singh, secretary of the Manipur Cricket Association, first noticed Bishworjit while he was bowling with a tennis ball during a local game. The young boxer had never received formal cricket coaching, but his bowling caught Ronel's attention.He had pace. He could move the ball. And he had a natural bowling action.Ronel was impressed and suggested that Bishworjit should seriously consider cricket. Bishworjit took his time before making the decision. Then he decided to give the sport a chance. He put his boxing gloves aside and picked up a leather ball.That was the beginning of a journey that would eventually take him from local grounds in Manipur to the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy.“I had never played proper cricket with a leather ball, so it was very difficult in the beginning,” Bishworjit said.“Boxing taught me many things. It taught me how to fight, how to come back and how to get up after falling down. I needed all those things in cricket as well. Leather-ball cricket was completely new to me, but slowly cricket became everything for me.”Learning the art of fast bowlingSwitching from tennis-ball cricket to leather-ball cricket was not easy. The grip was different. The release was different. The ball behaved differently.Bishworjit had to learn everything from the beginning. But his years in boxing had made him physically strong and mentally tough. He quickly adapted to the demands of fast bowling.After playing in local tournaments, Bishworjit began making a name for himself in Manipur. He represented the state at the U-23 level before getting the big break he had been waiting for.He made his first-class debut for Manipur against Sikkim in 2018.There was no looking back after that.Manipur’s wicket machineBishworjit made an immediate impact in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season. He finished as Manipur's highest wicket-taker, picking up 30 wickets in just eight matches. He was also among the top 10 wicket-takers in the country that season.Since then, he has become one of the most successful cricketers from the state.The right-arm medium pacer has played 48 first-class matches, 49 List A games and 46 T20 matches. He has taken 147 wickets in first-class cricket, including three five-wicket hauls. He also has 66 List A and 46 T20 wickets to his name.He was also Manipur's leading wicket-taker in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy.In the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he produced a memorable seven-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, against Nagaland.Bishworjit has also taken five-wicket hauls against Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy.He became the first fast bowler from the North East Zone to take more than 100 first-class wickets and the second player from the region overall to reach the mark. He was also the first player from the North East to take more than 50 wickets in List A cricket.Today, Bishworjit is the leading wicket-taker from the North East Zone across all three formats.His journey also took him beyond India when he became the first cricketer from Manipur to play for an English club, Tynemouth Cricket Club.Bowling on slopes and in the rainBishworjit's journey was far from easy. Before Manipur became a full member of the BCCI and entered India's major domestic tournaments, the state had limited cricket facilities.For a fast bowler, finding a proper place to train was a major challenge.Manipur also receives heavy rainfall for several months every year, making regular outdoor practice difficult.Bishworjit and other young cricketers had to find their own ways to train.“We did not have many facilities before 2018. It rains heavily in Manipur from June to September, so practising was very difficult,” he said.“Sometimes we practised on slopes because we felt running uphill could help us build strength and generate more pace. After the rain, we would put sand on wet areas to make the surface usable and then start bowling again.”The situation, he says, has changed significantly now.The BCCI has helped improve cricket infrastructure in the state, with players now having access to better training facilities.“Things have changed a lot. The BCCI has done a great job for cricket in Manipur and given us much better facilities,” he said.“Life has become much easier for young cricketers now. They have facilities that we did not have when we started.”The meeting with Vaibhav SooryavanshiNorth East Zone lost the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal, but Bishworjit still wanted to meet Sooryavanshi after the match.The 30-year-old walked towards the East Zone dressing room and met the teenager. They shared a smile and shook hands.Bishworjit had watched Sooryavanshi closely during his rise in the IPL, the Under-19 World Cup and international cricket.“He is a very nice boy and a special talent. I have watched him in the IPL, the Under-19 World Cup and for India. The way he hits the ball is incredible,” Bishworjit said.“But I also told him that red-ball cricket requires patience. You have to give yourself some time at the crease.”Sooryavanshi had shown his attacking style by hitting Bishworjit for two boundaries before the pacer got his wicket.For the Manipur bowler, it was a small example of the difference between white-ball and red-ball cricket.“He had a lot of time to bat. That is the difference between red-ball and white-ball cricket,” Bishworjit said.“In red-ball cricket, patience is very important. You cannot play every ball the way you do in white-ball cricket. We spoke about cricket and exchanged a few thoughts,” he said.