| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1988-10-06)6 October 1988 (age 36) Dubai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armoff break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| ODI debut (cap 11) | 1 August 2018 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 19 September 2021 v Oman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 11) | 16 March 2014 v Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 21 February 2022 v Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | APF(squad no. 5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Sudur Pashchimanchal Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Panchakanya Tej | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Biratnagar Kings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017-2021 | Bhairahawa Gladiators | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018-2019 | Pokhara Paltan(squad no. 5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Pokhara Avengers(squad no. 5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024- | Chitwan Rhinos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,8 November 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sharad Vesawkar (Nepali:शरद भेष्वाकर, born 6 October 1988) is a Nepalese professional cricketer. He is a right-handed middle-orderbatsman and a right-armoff breakbowler.[1] He made his debut forNepal against theUAE in March 2004.[2] He played in Nepal's first everOne Day International (ODI) match, against theNetherlands, in August 2018.
Vesawkar became the third Nepalese cricketer to score an internationalcentury, when he slammed an unbeaten 105 off 134 balls againstFiji during the2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five in February 2010.[3]
He was thecaptain ofPanchakanya Tej of theEverest Premier League in 2016 and also a captain ofBhairahawa Gladiators of sameEverest Premier League from 2017 to 2021. He also represents theAPF Club of theNational League and Sudur Pashchimanchal Academy, which plays in the SPA Cup.
As a captain he took his another teamBiratnagar Kings in final of Dhanghadi Premier League in first season on 2017. He also led another teamPokhara Paltan of Pokhara Premier League for 2017 and 2018 as a captain. In 2017 his team Pokhara Paltan won first season of Pokhara Premier League and in 2018 his team lost the final. He also led Pokhara Avengers on first season ofNepal T20 League.
Vesawkar was born and raised inUAE, as the second son of Dilip Vesawkar, an engineer, and his wife Himali. On his father's side, he is of Indian descent, and on his mother's side, he is of Nepalese descent. He, along with his brother, Mahendra, learnt to play cricket in his childhood in the country. The family returned to Nepal in 1995 after his father's retirement.[4] He was married to Nepali ActressNisha Adhikari.
Vesawkar first represented Nepal at Under-15 level, playing in the Under-15 Asia Cup in theUnited Arab Emirates in December 2002. In his second match against Qatar Under-15s[5] he scored acentury to win theman of the match award.[6]
He first played at Under-19 level in April 2003 on a tour of India. Later in the year, he played in theYouth Asia Cup inKarachi[5] and won the man of the match award in the final against Malaysia Under-19s.[7] The following year he played in the ACC Under-17 Cup in India and the2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.[5]
In 2004, he made his début for the Nepal senior side[5] in what was also his firstfirst-class match against theUAE in the2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup. He also played an Intercontinental Cup match againstMalaysia the next month.[8] He also played in the2004 ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur that year in addition toACC Fast Track Countries Tournament matches againstSingapore, theUAE andHong Kong.
In 2005, he played ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament matches against Malaysia,[5] theUAE and Hong Kong.[8] The games against theUAE andHong Kong also counted towards the2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup.[9] He played in the ACC Under-19 Cup inNepal that November. He played for Nepal Under-19s in a second Under-19 World Cup in February 2006.[5]
In March 2006 he played in a play-off match againstNamibia to decide the final spot in the2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup. Needing an outright win to qualify, Nepal could only secure a draw after there was no play on the first day.[10] Later in the year he played on a tour ofPakistan with Nepal in addition to playing in theACC Trophy andACC Premier League.
In 2002, while playing in the selection event for U-15, Sarad was determined to get selected or leave cricket. He got selected from inter-school competition to the regional team and then for the closed camp training for the national team. During the camp, he six five half-centuries against visiting Indian clubs in six matches - an indication of the glorious days ahead.
The first international event for Vesawka was unforgettable - not only because it was his first also because he got to start his career on the soil where he was born - UAE. He was one of the best batsmen of the event scoring 275 runs in 8 matches including a 106 against Qatar and 78 against India. With that he was selected for the Dream Team and visited Sri Lanka—news he couldn't tell to his father, who died in India on his business trip due to a heart attack.
Today, Sarad is a mainstay batsman of Nepali national team. He was one of the key players of the U-19 squad that won the plate championship in 2006 defeating South Africa and New Zealand.
In 1995, his father retired and as his mother wished, the family returned Nepal. After coming to Nepal, a country where cricket was still infant, he knew how much he loved cricket as he started missing playing it. He studied a year at the Modern Indian School and then admitted in Himalayan Vidhya Mandir in 1996.
His love for cricket forced him to find a playing area - a long field a few blocks away from his home. "There were houses on both sides," he says. "So we were forced to play straight shots so to avoid breaking windows." That somehow helped him becoming a batsman.
When he was in standard seven, Everest Cricket Coaching Academy was established in Ratopul - near from his home. He was one of 100 first batch trainees learning with chief coach Arun Aryal and Samsom Jung Thapa. Many established cricketers such as Kiran Rana, Rajesh Pant, Munir Shrestha, Manish Shrestha, Raju Basnet and Prafulla Vaidhya frequented the academy and he was one of very few trainees who never fears to bat against them.[11]
In July 2018, he was named in Nepal's squad for theirOne Day International (ODI) seriesagainst the Netherlands.[12] These were Nepal's first ODI matches since gaining ODI status during the2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.[13] He made his ODI debut for Nepal against theNetherlands on 1 August 2018.[14]
In October 2018, he was named in Nepal's squad in the Eastern sub-region group for the2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Asia Qualifier tournament.[15] In June 2019, he was named in Nepal's squad for theRegional Finals of the2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier tournament.[16][17] In November 2019, he was named in Nepal's squad for the2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh.[18] In September 2020, he was one of eighteen cricketers to be awarded with a central contract by theCricket Association of Nepal.[19]
Vesawkar is a player who gained popularity among the supporters as a defensive batsman when he first came to reckoning in 2004, however, to one's surprise he portrayed a batsman completely opposite to his pro-claimed identity in2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier which exuberantly leadNepal to the2014 ICC World Twenty20.
His game play drastically transformed from a toddler/nudger to an aggressive player who happens to be an extremely attacking player when needed. He blasted three sixes when 17 runs were required in the last over as Nepal completed their highest ever chase of 183 runs againstKenya[20] during the2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier which recorded one of the most unprecedented victories in history of Nepalese and Associate cricket.
In 2002, while playing in the selection event for U-15, Sarad was determined to get selected or leave cricket. He got selected from inter-school competition to the regional team and then for the closed camp training for the national team. During the camp, he six five half-centuries against visiting Indian clubs in six matches - an indication of the glorious days ahead.
He continued his form smashing 10 of the 13 required, and took a single off the last ball leading to a nail-biting five-wicket victory againstHong Kong[21] in the quarter-final of the2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. In the match againstUAE[22] for third position, he scored an unbeaten 43 runs off just 29 balls including two sixes in first two balls of last over to seal the match. In short, Vesawkar's batting played a pivotal part leading Nepal to the2014 ICC World Twenty20.
He started his career in 2004 and faced many difficulties. Lack of citizenship was the worst thing he faced over the years. He finally got his citizenship before the2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier and in return he paved the path of2014 ICC World Twenty20 for Nepal.
He scored an unbeaten 91 off just 45 balls againstSingapore in the knock-out match of the Sagarmatha Cement Journey to World Cup tournament in December 2013. He scored 32 runs off the thirty-ninth over that includes 5 SIXes and a two.[23][24]
He also scored 40 runs againstBangladesh[25] and 37 runs againstAfghanistan[26] in the2014 ICC World Twenty20.
In August 2014, he traveled to the United States as he was called to play for the Punjab Lions in a Chicago-based tournament. He also played in the North Texas League during the weekends.
The first international event for Sarad was unforgettable - not only because it was his first also because he got to start his career on the soil where he was born - UAE. He was one of the best batsmen of the event scoring 275 runs in 8 matches including a 106 against Qatar and 78 against India. With that he got selected for the Dream Team and visited Sri Lanka - a news he couldn't tell to his father, who died in India on his business trip due to a heart attack.
Today, Sarad is a mainstay batsman of Nepali national team. He was one of the key players of the U-19 squad that won the plate championship in 2006 defeating South Africa and New Zealand.