Delivery boy to KCL star: Krishna Devan’s incredible rise

The Story in Brief

Krishna Devan, 27, became the second most expensive player in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction at Rs 11.20 lakh after a journey from food delivery executive to power-hitter. Once a Kerala University javelin champion, a shoulder injury ended his athletics career at 21. He turned to cricket, but financial struggles forced him to work as a delivery executive in Bengaluru for eight months. A club patron gifted him a full kit and urged him to return home. He soon earned a reputation as a terrifying hitter, smashing four sixes in the final over of a President's Cup semifinal to steal an impossible win for KCA Lions. Despite a thumb injury requiring surgery, he returned with match-winning knocks in the NSK Trophy T20 in June. Calicut Globstars picked him for Rs 75,000 in the second KCL season, but he got few chances.

Separately, wicket-keeper Manav Krishna, who scored a century against Sri Lanka in the Youth Test in July, is set for his long-awaited KCL debut after Thrissur Titans picked him for the third season. He was a surprise omission in the second season auction and a replacement call went unfulfilled because of an NCA camp. Manav has played Ranji Trophy and earned the India Under-19 cap. He moved from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram to train under mentor S.S. Shine, who calls him one of the best young talents in Kerala.