Pragyan Ojha

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ojha's earliest pursuit in cricket was at the age of 10, when he went to the Saheed Sporting Club for a summer camp in Bhubaneswar under Sasang S Das, while studying at D.A.V. Public School, Chandrasekharpur. He started playing for the Saheed Sporting Club in the junior tournaments for the club and city. Four years later, he moved to Hyderabad to pursue studies and chose cricket as his profession under the guidance of his coach T. Vijay Paul. Ojha made his debut in first class cricket in 2004/05 and represented India at the under-19 level as well. He finished the 2006–07 Ranji Trophy season with 29 wickets with an impressive average of 19.89 in just 6 games. The left arm spinner is known for his ability to flight the ball. Ojha represented Hyderabad Cricket Association in domestic cricket from 2004 till 2015, then played for Cricket Association of Bengal as a guest player for couple of seasons (2015/16-2016/17). He has previously played for Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. His high success in the first couple of seasons in domestic cricket and the IPL ensured his selection in the 15-man Indian squad for the Bangladesh tour and Asia Cup in 2008. He played his first One Day International match against Bangladesh on 28 June 2008 in Karachi and ended up with figures of 2/43. On 24 November 2009, Ojha made his Test debut in the Second Test against Sri Lanka in Kanpur, replacing Amit Mishra and gaining figures of 2/37 off 23 overs and 2/36 off of 15.3 overs in India's 100th Test win. He then took five wickets in the Third Test in another innings win for India, taking nine wickets at 28.66 in two Tests. Ojha became the 800th and final Test victim of Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Test history. In his T20 debut against Bangladesh on 6 June 2009, he took 4/21 in four overs. He was awarded Man of the Match for his match-winning performance. He has performed exceedingly well in the six editions of IPL, earning him the praise of his captain Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar. He was all the more successful in the second season, which ensured his selection in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England. IPL 3 he was awarded the Purple Cap for picking up the most wickets in the tournament. He has been part of 3 IPL winning teams (1 for Deccan Chargers & 2 for Mumbai Indians) & 1 champions League for Mumbai Indians. In August,

In Their Own Story

In June 2009, Ojha announced his arrival in T20 cricket with a stunning performance against Bangladesh on 6 June. In just four overs, he claimed 4/21, earning the Man of the Match award for a match-winning display. His success in domestic cricket and the IPL led to his selection for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England. During his time with Mumbai Indians, Ojha was praised by captains Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar for his consistency. Although he faced a temporary ban from bowling in December 2014 due to an illegal action, he cleared the tests on 30 January 2015. His international career concluded with a memorable farewell performance against West Indies in 2013, where he took match figures of 10 for 89 in Sachin Tendulkar's final Test.

Reader's Guide

Ojha was born in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He moved to Hyderabad at the age of 14 and since then he has been residing there with his family. His parents are Maheswar Ojha (retired State Govt. Officer) and Bidulata Ojha (M.A in literature). On 16 May 2010 he married Karabee Baral, daughter of Kailash Chandra Baral and Chanchala Naik, both professors at English and Foreign Languages University.

Did You Know?

• Ojha is among the few cricketers who have taken more wickets than the runs they have scored in Test cricket.
• He became the 800th and final Test victim of Muttiah Muralitharan.
• He won the Purple Cap in IPL 3 for taking the most wickets in the tournament.
• He has been part of 3 IPL winning teams (1 for Deccan Chargers & 2 for Mumbai Indians) and 1 Champions League for Mumbai Indians.