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Celebrating with a trophy: When this journalist was bowled over by Rohit Sharma
Journalist Vimal Kumar, who loves to do 'positive stories', was surprised when Rohit Sharma invited him to join the team celebrations with the trophy after India's ODI series win in West Indies
- PUBLISHED: Sun 28 Sept 2025, 8:13 PM UPDATED: Tue 30 Sept 2025, 1:22 AM
Underneath the echoes of MS Dhoni’s incredible journey from Jharkhand, one of India’s poorer states, to the upper echelons of global cricket, lies an unsung hero named Vimal Kumar.
A cricket journalist who has broken free from the shackles of a regular job in the media industry, Kumar has built his own platform on YouTube where he talks about the game from the ground, earning millions of views and even a rare opportunity to stand alongside Indian players in a post-match presentation ceremony.
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The 48-year-old is also the only journalist in India who gets to sit down with iconic stars such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin for exclusive one-on-one interviews at a time when the media fraternity laments the lack of access to players.
But the moment that remains closest to his heart was the launch of his book, Sachin: Cricketer of the Century, in Delhi where the chief guests were none other than Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni.
Kumar’s recipe for success is simple — do positive stories and build trust so players, no matter how big they are, feel comfortable to open up about everything in cricket and life.
“I have proved that good cricket stories also do well. You don’t have to do negative, toxic and sensational stories for TRPs,” said Kumar who was in Dubai to cover the Asia Cup.
“Some people taunt me for being a positive journalist who has the spirit of a fan. Can you believe this? People mocking you for doing positive stories?
“But I don’t mind, I am here to do good stories and spread happiness. Fans who see me and recognise me at stadiums, they hug me and give me that positive energy.”
Kumar’s journey from Dumka, his hometown in Jharkhand, to Delhi wasn’t easy. But what kept him going was his unflinching spirit.
“I worked for some of the top television media houses in Delhi. In some of the places, I also did work both in Hindi and English. It was an advantage, but one of my managers was brutally honest about my English diction, that I needed to work hard for voice-overs,” he recalled.
“I didn’t have the privilege of going to the best schools in Jharkhand. So I had two options — give up or work hard to improve. I decided to take the second option. I have always been a positive person — I am someone who loves to learn every single day of my life.”
Accepting challenges was the hallmark of Dhoni, one of India's most iconic cricketers who emerged from the backwaters of Jharkhand, Kumar’s home state.
Off the field, Kumar has embodied the undying spirit with which Dhoni pulled off some of the most astonishing wins in Indian cricket history.
Having decided to quit his job in 2019 to work as a freelancer and build a fanbase on his YouTube channel, he made a fine start until the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt.
“For six months, I was out of work. There was no cricket until the IPL started in September 2020. But I never lost hope, and once cricket started, I was back on the ground again,” he said.
That refusal to give up also landed him a contract with Penguin Publishing Group for a book on Tendulkar’s 100 centuries in international cricket.
“Their CEO just gave me five minutes to present my concept. I told him the idea that I am interviewing 100 international players who watched Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries from the ground, either as a teammate or an opponent. I had already done 20 chapters when I met him. He instantly said yes,” Kumar said.
The who’s who of cricket spoke to Kumar for the book on Tendulkar.
“I had interviews with players such as Dhoni, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Allan Donald and Waqar Younis. The foreword was written by Viv Richards. And the best part was that both Sachin and Dhoni attended the book launch after my request,” he reminisced.
“You know, Dhoni never does one-on-one interviews. But he made an exception for my book. I can never thank him enough!”
Ten years after the book was published, Kumar was the only travelling Indian journalist in the West Indies, where he had another truly unforgettable moment.
“After India won the ODI series, the players were posing for a group photo with the trophy. Suddenly, Rohit called me to join them. I was taken aback, but he insisted,” Kumar said.
“So, I reluctantly joined them, and I was next to Virat and Hardik Pandya. Virat joked that I was the man-of-the-series for being the only Indian journalist for that series.”
So why did Rohit invite a journalist to pose with the Indian team at the post-match celebrations with the trophy?
“I think it was the kindness of Rohit. It was his way of thanking me, maybe, for my commitment to cricket as an independent journalist and for being there in every stadium,” he said.
“Also, they know that I never seek any inside information from players. I never harass them with interview requests. I only try to do positive stories. So, I think all these big players trust me because of that. Virat even introduced me to his wife (Anuskha Sharma) in the West Indies in 2023. Rohit twice gave me long interviews. Ashwin invited me to his place in Chennai for an interview. All these great cricketers always go out of their way to help me.”
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.