Vedanta chairman praises Bihar’s cricket talent, Samrat responds

Patna: Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Friday showered praise on Bihar’s emerging cricket talent, saying the state had produced exceptional players who were now making their mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His remarks received a prompt response from chief minister Samrat Choudhary, who said the Bihar govt was working in “mission” mode to strengthen cricket infrastructure and support sporting talent in the state.Patna-born Agarwal shared an emotional post on X, highlighting the achievements of Bihar cricketers such as Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sakib Hussain, who are currently associated with different IPL franchises.Praising Bihar’s contribution to Indian cricket, he added, “Patna-born Ishan Kishan holds the record for scoring the fastest double century in ODIs. Vaibhav from Samastipur became the youngest player to make an IPL debut. And today, the eyes of the entire world are fixed on the magnificent bowling prowess of Sakib Hussain, who hails from a humble family in Gopalganj.”Agarwal also spoke about his emotional connection with Bihar and the need to provide better facilities to young players in the state.“For me, Bihar is not merely a state, but an emotion. The time has now come for the talent rooted in our soil to shine on the field. It has always been my dream and endeavour to ensure that the youth of Bihar receive every opportunity to excel in every field,” he said.Agarwal added that Bihar’s players should receive world-class infrastructure and support within the state itself.CM Samrat Choudhary responded soon after to Agarwal’s remarks and underlined the Bihar govt’s commitment towards cricket development.“For the cricket ‘emotion’ of Bihar, the govt is working in ‘mission’ mode with a clear ‘vision’. With your cooperation, a positive decision will certainly be taken regarding Bihar cricket,” Samrat posted.Agarwal replied to the CM’s message, saying, “You have my full support and cooperation. My heartfelt best wishes to all the sporting talents of Bihar.”Bihar Cricket Association president Harshvardhan said several players from the state like Ishan, Vaibhav, Sakib, Akash Deep and Sushant Mishra were already playing in the IPL and Bihar’s cricket infrastructure was steadily improving, particularly in Rajgir and at Patna’s Moin-ul-Haq Stadium.