It’s not easy being a professional athlete. It’s certainly not easy to be an Indian cricketer. Ask Virat Kohli. He must have enjoyed all the spotlight when he broke into the scene in style. But these days, Kohli prefers going on overseas tours so that he can find the time and the space to fulfill elementary wishes, like taking a peaceful walk on a crowded street.

There are incredible highs. There are deafening lows too. Praveen Kumar seems to be missing the glory days as he is no longer connected to the game at the highest level, unlike his peers who are getting lucrative gigs in the sport well after their retirements. When you listen to Praveen Kumar, the bowler who wowed Indian crowds with his prodigious swing, talking about his journey in an open conversation with The Lallantop, it makes more sense.

Kumar was a celebrated swing bowler in an otherwise spin-heavy Indian line-up at his peak, but more than that, he always made headlines for various misdemeanors, including alcoholism and chasing a doctor with a rifle. While admitting to drinking, Kumar claims that the issue is frequently “blown out of proportion”.

Praveen Kumar’s career, which began with his India debut in 2007 and concluded in 2012, was marked by both successes and controversies. Renowned for his swing bowling, he was once a rising star in India’s pace attack. However, his journey was truncated due to injuries and issues with temperament, leading to Praveen’s retirement from all forms of cricket in 2018. Praveen last played in international match for India on March 30, 2012, which was a T20 international against South Africa in Johannesburg. He went wicketless in that match.

The former India pacer expressed frustration at being unfairly targeted and having his image tarnished by accusations of drinking, which he believes were used unjustly to portray him negatively. While he did not name anyone, Praveen suggested that a specific individual had slandered his name due to his alcohol consumption. He argued, however, that he was not the only one who drank alcohol, and that many other players did as well.

While he did not name anyone, Praveen suggested that a specific individual had slandered his name due to his alcohol consumption. He argued, however, that he was not the only one who drank alcohol, and that many other players did as well.

“When I joined the Indian team, a few senior players asked me to stop drinking and avoid a few other things. However, everyone consumed alcohol but still maligned my name. While many senior players treated us youngsters very well, there was someone who spread negativity around my name. I don’t want to name that person on camera, but everybody knows who ruined my image.”

The repercussions of these allegations had a profound impact on Praveen’s life after retirement. The ex-India bowler expressed disappointment over being overlooked for coaching positions, including within his home state’s Ranji team, due to the stigma associated with his alleged drinking.

“In 2018, I had expected that one of the IPL franchises would sign me as a bowling coach. Forget that; even my own Uttar Pradesh team did not call me to work with the Ranji team. The only reason they had was that I used to drink alcohol. But did I drink on the ground or open the bottle in the dressing room?”

Praveen also revealed that he went into depression, a battle he is actively addressing through therapy and medication.

“I went into depression. I used to stare at the fan for close to five hours. I was very disheartened to see that nobody was calling me, even after achieving so many things in my career. I went to Haridwar for a few days,” Praveen added.