Neeraj Chopra Cricket Facts

We all know that Usain Bolt was a cricketer first before his coach, noting his manic running on the field, suggested a change of career. Much less known is how Neeraj Chopra took a similar, er, trajectory. Here were the early signs for all to see.

+ As a fielder, he often gave away overthrows, which sometimes went for a six. Once whilst fielding by the ropes someone from the top-most stand threw a water bottle at him. He threw it right back at them.

+ As a bowler, he insisted on everyone calling him the "spearhead" of the attack. He was obsessed with hitting the 90 mark. He often fell down upon releasing the ball. Only once in his career did he bowl a no-ball, not because he overstepped, but because he delivered it from outside the 30-yard circle, violating fielding restrictions.

+ As a batsman, his stance was side-on, he often charged down the track, and just as often let the bat slip and fly over the bowler. Needless to say, he tried to hit every ball for a six. This usually resulted in him getting out first ball, but he liked to say that "if you're out there to make a duck, might as well make it golden."

+ Outside cricket, his favourite dressing-room activity was darts. Favourite video game, Angry Birds. Favourite song, Paper Planes. Favourite movies, American Sniper and Million Dollar Arm. He had a girlfriend, long-distance. He told his coach that his apartment was "literally a stone's throw" from where the coach lived;  they lived two blocks apart.

+ His favourite cricketers were Javed Miandad and Chris Lynn.

+ Once he was made the stand-in captain. At the toss he misunderstood the term and flung the coin out of the stadium.

+ At the end of every match he used to take a stump as souvenir. Even when his team lost.