Watch: Sumit Nagal pads up and bats in the nets after making history at Australian Open with racquet

Just days after scripting history with the tennis racquet Down Under at the Australian Open, Indian tennis ace Sumit Nagal padded up and tried his hand at wielding a different kind of sporting object: a cricket bat.

The Indian ace can be seen paying a visit to the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground to bat in the nets, in a video posted on social media by the Australian Open.

“I haven’t played in years and years. And this is probably the first time I am playing padded up. So fingers crossed,” Nagal can be seen telling the social media handle of the year’s first Grand Slam.

“I think it’s a privilege for every Indian to go through this. Playing cricket as a youngster, I have invested a lot of hours into cricket… playing on the streets. To see one of the biggest stadiums in the world, it’s a very nice feeling. Even though this moment didn’t come through playing cricket (for India), I’m very happy to live this moment right now,” Nagal added.

Earlier this week, Nagal scripted history after becoming the first Indian since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 to beat a seeded player in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam: he defeated 27th seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Australian Open.

Nagal 🤝 MCG pic.twitter.com/ss1TQdkDAN

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024

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The win earned him a handsome sum of Aus$180,000 (around Rs 98 lakh).

“If I look at my bank balance, I have what I had at the beginning of the year. It is 900 euros (around Rs 80,000),” Nagal, born to a primary school teacher in Jhajjar, Haryana, had told PTI in September. “The funding needed to break into the top 100 is around one crore.”

The 26-year-old is taking on China’s Shang Juncheng in the second round on Thursday.

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