Earned Rs 500 Per Game, Mother Sold Jewellery: SRH's Sakib Hussain A Result Of Sacrifices
Pacer Sakib Hussain, along with fellow debutant Praful Hinge, became the talk of the town after their sensational spells powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a commanding 57-run victory over Rajasthan Royals.
Pacer Sakib Hussain, along with fellow debutant Praful Hinge, became the talk of the town after their sensational spells powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a commanding 57-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2026 clash on Monday. Playing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, both Sakib and Praful claimed four wickets each as SRH bundled RR out for 159 while defending a target of 217. Courtesy of the debutants' brilliance, Sunrisers Hyderabad handed Rajasthan Royals their first defeat of the season, ending their four-match winning streak.
Speaking about Sakib, the Bihar-born pacer's journey to the IPL has been far from easy. Hailing from a financially struggling family in Gopalganj, Sakib grew up in challenging circumstances. His family initially depended on his father, Ali Ahmed Hussain, who worked as a farmer. However, Ali's livelihood came to a sudden halt after he suffered a knee injury, further worsening the family's financial condition.
As Sakib began showing interest in cricket, he gradually developed a passion for pace bowling. He started playing tennis-ball tournaments in his area, earning around Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per match. Amid these struggles, Sakib found his biggest support in his mother, who once sold her jewellery to buy him a pair of spiked shoes.
In a video shared by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, Sakib and his mother revisited those difficult early days and spoke about how the family stood together to help him pursue his dream.
"Shoes are very expensive. Proper bowling spikes cost around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. If we spent that much on shoes, then what would we eat?" Sakib said in the video.
A story of hard work, resilience and inspiration!
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 25, 2024
From Gopalganj to Eden Gardens…Sakib Hussain is a Knight! pic.twitter.com/oyMxDZnSsM
"He started crying and said, 'Mummy, I don't have shoes, how will I play?' We didn't have that kind of money. I had to sell my jewellery to somehow get him those shoes," recalled his mother, Subuktara Khatoon.
Sakib Hussain's rise to the IPL stage stands as a powerful reminder that hard work, sacrifice and determination can help overcome even the toughest of circumstances, regardless of one's background.
"Thank you so much. Every player hopes for a debut like this, so it feels really good. I'm very happy. (when did he know he was going to play?) The bowling coach Varun bhai informed me a day before the game that I would be playing. From then on, my focus was simply on performing well. Mentally, I prepared myself to give my best," said Sakib after delivering a match-winning spell against RR on Monday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rajasthan Royals