Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 18 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir cricketer Brijesh Sharma, currently representing Bengal, expressed happiness at his selection in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise and reflected on his journey that saw him move out to Bengal and play some of his best cricket there.

Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions, got the right-arm pacer Brijesh at his base price of Rs 30 lakhs during the IPL 2026 auction at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Brijesh, from Udhampur, had to move to Bengal for better opportunities. There, he featured in the Bengal Pro T20 League, where he took 11 wickets in seven matches, averaging just under 18, and finished in the tournament's top ten wicket-takers.

Speaking to ANI, Brijesh said, 'I am currently representing the Bengal Cricket Association. I am from Madha and currently staying in Udhampur. My journey has had its ups and downs. I have played for the Jammu state team, was dropped, and learnt a great deal under Deepak Punia's guidance at Unique Sports Club in Delhi over the last two years. The facilities are great there, and they made me aware of the discipline and things I needed to bring to play cricket at a higher level.'

Brijesh, 27, said that he comes from a humble background, with his father working as a labourer. Upon his selection in the IPL, he thanked his family, friends and coaches for helping him out in every aspect of his life and game so that he could make it to the cash-rich league.

'I'm 27 years of age, I come from a humble family background, and my father's hard work as a labourer over the years has paid off. My friends have also been a great source of support. Some of them helped me financially and emotionally through all my bad times, whenever I faced problems and self-doubt. They all trusted me. I would like to thank my family, coaches, friends for all this. I did not have that much belief in myself as much as they all did,' he added.

Brijesh's father, Kapoor Chand Sharma, a labourer, also expressed how the hard work paid off for him and his son and encouraged people to let their children pursue what they want to do with their lives.

'We are happy. His hard work paid off. I hope everyone works hard and gets rewards like this. We are receiving calls from relatives congratulating us. He was interested in sports since he was a child and would often get beaten for not going to school and showing interest in studies. But slowly, by god' grace, everything worked out. We should encourage our children to pursue their field of interest,' he said. (ANI)