Kataka, September 26: Aashirwad Swain had 15 runs to get from the final over for Puri Titans against Keonjhar Miners. The Titans were down to their last two wickets, while Keonjhar Miners were sensing a chance to pull off a win.
But Swain stayed calm.
Having watched MS Dhoni finish countless matches under pressure, the Puri Titans batter had learned the value of taking a game deep. On Friday, he put that lesson into practice as he held his nerves to guide Puri Titans to a thrilling two-wicket win over Keonjhar Miners in the Bharat Masala Odisha T20 League – CM Trophy at the Barabati Stadium.
Keonjhar had posted 140/9 after recovering from a difficult start, and Puri were in trouble at 113/8 in the 18th over. With 15 needed from the final six balls, Swain backed himself to complete the chase.
“I was trying to analyse the situation outside. The ball was coming a little late on the wicket, so this was on my mind that the deeper we go, the team in front of us will also panic. Most of the time, the plan was that I stay till the end,” Swain said after the match.
“I believed in myself that no matter how many runs there were in the last over, I can finish it.”
That belief proved decisive as Swain produced the finishing touches to take Puri Titans over the line.
Dhoni’s 2011 six changed his cricketing dream
For Swain, the ability to remain calm in pressure situations comes from an inspiration he has carried since childhood — Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The moment that stayed with him was Dhoni’s famous six that sealed India’s 2011 ODI World Cup final win against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium.
“The last six of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011 became the reason for me to pick up the sport,” Swain said.
“I got inspired by him. I learnt a lot from him by watching the match videos, that you have to take the game till the last over. So he has a big role. He is my inspiration.”
Swain is yet to meet his idol, but Dhoni’s influence was visible in the way he approached Friday’s chase. Rather than panic as wickets fell around him, he focused on taking the contest deep and giving himself a chance in the final over.
Why Swain wears No. 19?
While Dhoni is his cricketing inspiration, Swain has another sporting hero who has influenced his choice of jersey number.
The Puri Titans batter wears No. 19, a number he chose because of his admiration for football superstar Lionel Messi.
“I’m a big Messi fan also. In the early stages, he also had the No. 19 jersey,” Swain explained.
From Rourkela to the Odisha T20 League
Swain’s journey has also involved plenty of hard work away from the spotlight. Hailing from Rourkela, he said access to quality cricket academies and coaching was limited when he was growing up.
“There were not that many academy facilities there. So I had to struggle a lot for good coaching in my childhood,” he said.
A key boost came recently when Swain got the opportunity to work with former India batter and coach Wasim Jaffer during the off-season in Mumbai.
Jaffer had previously worked with the Odisha team, which helped Swain establish a connection with him. After a difficult previous season, Swain reached out to Jaffer, who invited him to Mumbai whenever he was free.
“My last year didn’t go that well. So as soon as I messaged him, he replied that whenever you are free, come. We planned it out and had great sessions back in Mumbai,” Swain said.
“The confidence that I got in the off-season by working with him, I feel really good right now.”
That confidence was on display when Puri Titans needed him most.
‘The process gave results today’
Swain also credited the team culture created by Puri Titans for helping the side fight until the final ball.
“From day one, we were trying to develop this culture in our camp that all the youngsters and all the seniors, whatever the situation is, we will try to get the team out of that situation,” he said.
“We will take the match to the last. So I guess that process gave results today. I am very happy.”
On a night when Puri Titans needed someone to stay calm under pressure, Swain did exactly that, drawing inspiration from Dhoni, carrying Messi’s No. 19 on his back and delivering when his team needed him most.
