Robin Minz: MS Dhoni Told Father Of 'Ranchi's Chris Gayle' That CSK Will Buy Him If No One Does; Batter Fetched Rs 3.6 Crore At IPL 2024 Auction

Robin Minz has represented Jharkhand in age group cricket. He was called for selection trials by many IPL franchises and finally found a spot in the squad of Gujarat Titans.

Robin Minz. (Image: X)

Robin Minz is 21 years old. And at this very young age, he is a crorepati. All thanks to his talent. Minz's father is a retired Army man who now works for a security agency in Ranchi as a securty guard at Ranchi airport. On the day of the auction, he was putting all his honesty at work at the airport when a CISF jawan went up to him to inform the good news. His son Robin had been bought for Rs 3.6 crore at the IPL 2024 Auction by 2022 champions Gujarat Titans (GT).

The Minz family comes from Telgaon village, which falls under the tribal belt of Gumla district in Jharkhand. Francis Minz, father of Robin, was into athletics and thanks to the sport, he got a job in the Indian Army. While he was in Army, the family moved to Ranchi where Francis' son Robin fell in love with cricket. While growing up, he saw Ranchi being put on the world map by MS Dhoni. Like all the kids in Ranchi and in the country, Robin too wanted to be the next Dhoni.

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Robin started to walk in the footsteps of his idol Dhoni and joined the ame coaching academy as Dhoni's. MSD's childhood coach Chanchal Bhattacharya took Robin under his wings and began the training. Like Dhoni, Robin too started to keep wickets. Chachal told Indian Express that in Ranchi, more youngsters have fallen in love with wicketkeeping because of the local cricketing hero.

'Ranchi Ka Chris Gayle'

Robin's training happens at Sonnet cricket club in Ranchi and his batting coach Asif Haque feels he is jut like the West Indian batting legend and greatest T20 batter of all times, in terms of runs, Chris Gayle. 

"We call him Ranchi ka Gayle. He is left-handed, well built, and hits big sixes. A new-age cricketer, who loves to take on the bowlers from ball one, believes in batting at a strike rate of 200," Asif told the newspaper.

As mentioned earlier in this article, young Ranchi boys are learning wicketkeeping more than any other skills. It is the Dhoni effect and they all are relating more to the young Dhoni, the long locks one, who used to smash sixes. Kumar Kushagra is another 19-year-old who will play IPL 2024, for Delhi Capitals, as the franchise spent a staggering Rs 7.20 crore for him. Ishan Kishan, the Indian wicketkeeper and batter, hails from Bihar but played almost all his cricket in Ranchi. Needless to say, Ranchi is becoming a supplier of wicketkeepers who want to smash it all over the park.

Dhoni told father: CSK wil pick him

Dhoni reportedly knew Robin and Francis before this auction. CSK captain had once told Robin to spend more time on the crease and not just look to hit sixes on all balls. Recently at the airport when Dhoni was taking flight to somewhere, he had met Francis and told him, "If nobody buys your son, we (CSK) will." But the need for CSK to raise the paddle was not felt as GT decided to get him. 

Let's see how Robin Minz, son of Francis Minz, goes in IPL 2024.