It’s difficult to imagine how a young boy can train successfully to be an international cricketer, without the support of best facilities and top quality equipment. Yet, these men have managed to not let circumstances determine their destiny, and their journey from rags to riches is just the dose of inspiration you need mid-week.

Chris Gayle

RCB’s Chris Gayle might be a party animal now, but he wasn’t born with the luxuries. He had to work really hard for it. As a kid, he had to go to the extent of stealing empty bottles to ensure there was enough food in his stomach.

Ravindra Jadeja

Before all the wickets and a big fat IPL contract, Ravindra Jadeja saw extremely difficult days as a youngster. “There were times when I had to manage the entire day with just Rs 10 in my pocket. When playing matches away from home, where you even had to buy water, it used to get tough,” he said in an interview with Indian Express.

Thangarasu Natarajan

Thangarasu Natarajan was sold for a mammoth Rs 3 crore in this year’s edition of IPL, and even though the youngster has a long way to go, that money is something he wouldn’t even have dreamt of as a child. Natarajan was son to a railway porter (coolie) and his mother ran a street stall.

David Warner

Australia’s David Warner might be leading his team Sun Risers Hyderabad to great victories now, but he was brought up in a blue-blooded neighbourhood where people didn’t have too many privileges. Warner even spent some time packing shelves at an Australian supermarket to make ends meet.  

Mohammad Siraj

Like Natarajan, Mohammad Siraj’s story is another heartwarming tale of how IPL is like an angel in many young cricketers’ life. Siraj was brought by Sun Risers Hyderabad for a neat Rs 2.6 crore, an amount that really shook the auto-driver’s son to numbness.