The Bhutanese all-rounder Mikyo Dorji claims that merely registering his name for the auction of the Indian Premier League 2022 is a big deal for his country. For the first time, Dorji has registered his name for the IPL Auction ceremony. As archery is the national sport of Bhutan and football is very popular among the youth, cricket is one of the fastest growing sports in Bhutan. Putting his country on the global map of cricket is Dorji’s goal.
The ultimate dream of Dorji is to play in IPL, but he said the chances of him being shortlisted for the next round of IPL auction are very slim.
“Playing in the IPL is my ultimate dream. When my friends saw that there was one player from Bhutan in the auction list, they called me. However, they don’t know (laughs) that this is just the initial round, and the names will be shortlisted further. My name will not appear in the main list after the list has been trimmed, if I’m honest with myself. Even registering is a big deal for Bhutan,” Dorji expressed, according to the New Indian Express.
Dorji is also Bhutan’s first player to play in a franchise-based league. He played for Lalitpur Patriots in the Everest Premier League. He said, however, if his country had been playing regular international matches, he could have developed more.
“My biggest regret is not having played international cricket, where I could have gained more experience and developed,” said Dorji.
He also cited Chencho Gyelsthen’s participation in India’s football league – ISL – as an example of how a person can make a career out of the sport. If a cricket player gets picked in IPL, he believes the same will happen to them.
“Any franchise picking a player from Bhutan will help this country a lot in the future, and I hope that happens. Chencho Gyeltshen, a Bhutan footballer who plays in the Indian Super League, has benefited greatly. People and parents are starting to realize that one can make good money and have a successful career through such sports. It can also happen in cricket if a Bhutanese player is in the IPL,” concluded Dorji.
