Some will be disheartened, some give up on their dreams, but only a few have the stomach to keep going. Pavan Deshpande falls into the category of only a select few who kept going despite the tide not turning his way easily. When by 25 years of age, most of us in Indian households are expected to have a settled career, Deshpande was still fighting for his dreams. A lifelong RCB fan who does not miss an opportunity to watch the team play at the Chinnaswamy, Deshpande is one of the elite few who had the guts to tough it out till the opportunities came knocking, nay, till he broke down the doors. Here’s a look at his journey through numbers and trivia that might not have attracted the limelight. 

7.3L - At 7.3 Lakhs INR, Pavan Deshpande attracted the highest bid in the Karnataka Premier League auction held in July 2019. Deshpande’s name sparked a bidding war, and the all-rounder from Dharwad was eventually bought by Shivamogga Lions for the eighth edition of the league.

27 - A typical career in cricket would have a smooth trajectory beginning from age-group cricket - the Under-16’s, Under-19’s and the likes, to then transition to a state team gradually. However, Pavan Deshpande was not so lucky. In fact, by his own admission, he was not even in the list of State cricket probables by the age of 25. However, Pavan Deshpande would not give up so easily on what he dreamt of doing; and even when he felt defeated, he would have his mother to turn to to keep him going. The call-up to the Karnataka team eventually came. At the age of 27, Pavan Deshpande made his First-class debut against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy.

223 - With 223 runs, Pavan Deshpande was the highest run-scorer for his team Shivamogga Lions in the 2019 edition of the Karnataka Premier League, justifying the price tag he earned at the auction. Those runs came at an impressive Strike rate of almost a 136 from 7 innings.

7.54 - At 7.54, Pavan Deshpande recorded the second-best economy rate among the Shivamogga Lions bowlers in the 2019 edition of the KPL, thus vindicating his position as an all-round asset in the team.

205 - Deshpande’s tally of 205 runs in the 2018 season of the KPL was the second-highest in the league. Then playing for the Bengaluru Blasters, Deshpande’s aggregate came at a Strike rate of above 130.