Odisha T20 League: Ganguly inspired me, but bowling is my calling, says Rajesh Mohanty
Synopsis
Rajesh Mohanty grew up watching Sourav Ganguly and still wears the number 99 jersey — but this Bhubaneswar Tigers pacer has firmly found his calling with the ball, not the bat. A transformative stint at the MRF Pace Foundation, an Asia Cup-winning U19 campaign, and a process-first mindset have shaped a cricketer quietly making his mark in the Odisha T20 League.
Key Takeaways
Rajesh Mohanty delivered a match-winning spell for Bhubaneswar Tigers against Kataka Panthers in the Odisha T20 League on 24 September 2026 .
Mohanty began cricket in 2015 as a top-order batter before coach Deepak Mangaraj identified and developed his pace-bowling potential.
A stint at the MRF Pace Foundation improved his bowling by his own estimate from 20-30 per cent to a significantly higher level.
He wears jersey number 99 in tribute to childhood idol Sourav Ganguly , though he has since established himself as a specialist pacer.
Mohanty played alongside Priyansh Arya , Prabhsimran Singh , and Nehal Wadhera in the India U19 side that won the Asia Cup .
He credits strength and conditioning coach Shakti Swarup Mohapatra for enabling him to stay fit and compete across all three formats.
Bhubaneswar Tigers pacer Rajesh Mohanty may have grown up idolising former India captain Sourav Ganguly, but it is pace bowling — not batting — that has defined his cricketing identity. The former India U19 speedster underlined that on 24 September 2026 with a clinical spell in a rain-affected Odisha T20 League match against the Kataka Panthers, demonstrating both his skill and his ability to execute a pre-match plan under pressure.
Pre-Match Plan and Clinical Execution
Mohanty revealed that his team arrived at the ground with a clear strategy for the shortened contest. 'Before we left the hotel, our meeting was very clear that the match would be a short-overs game. So, whatever we had planned for the batters and whatever the bowlers had planned, we came fully prepared for that. We had decided that we would play all the overs with full intent,' he said in a tournament statement.
He also stressed the responsibility senior players carry in such situations. 'As a senior player, if you come forward at such a time, the junior players also get some motivation. They also start playing well. My plan was that when their main batters came to bat, I would come to bowl. We played according to the plan and thankfully, we were successful,' he added.
From Batter to Pace Bowler: The Coach Who Changed Everything
Mohanty's journey to fast bowling was not a straight road. He began cricket relatively late, in 2015, as a top-order batter. It was his mentor and coach Deepak Mangaraj who spotted an aptitude for pace and nudged him toward the crease. 'When I came to him, I started fast bowling. I was a batter, but my coach saw something in me in fast bowling. He told me to focus on bowling, so I slowly started bowling more and stopped concentrating as much on batting. I started enjoying bowling and then felt that bowling could be my career,' Mohanty explained.
He credits this process-driven mindset for his continued development. 'I follow the whole process even today. The result is not in my hands. I don't think too much about the result. I focus on the process, whether it is training or bowling, and leave the result to God,' he said.
Ganguly's Influence and the Number 99 Jersey
Mohanty's admiration for Sourav Ganguly — who wore the number 99 jersey and is remembered for his left-handed batting and medium-pace bowling — shaped his earliest cricketing instincts. 'I started cricket after watching Sourav Ganguly. He used to bowl medium pace and bat left-handed. I used to play as an opener and also bowl with the new ball,' Mohanty recalled. While Ganguly remains an inspiration behind the jersey number, Mohanty has since carved out his own identity as a specialist pace bowler.
MRF Pace Foundation and U19 Memories
A stint at the prestigious MRF Pace Foundation proved transformative. 'When I went to MRF, I got to learn a lot. My bowling was perhaps 20-30 per cent good at that time, but after going there, I improved a lot. The coaching and the training helped me understand my bowling better. I got to learn more about how to bowl to good batsmen in domestic cricket,' he said.
His India U19 days also hold a special place, particularly a match-winning over he recalls with pride. 'I had to defend six or seven runs in one over. I gave away two runs. We won the match. I think that was a turning point in my career,' he said. Mohanty spoke warmly of U19 teammates who have since risen to prominence — Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Nehal Wadhera — noting their collective Asia Cup triumph. 'It feels very good to see them playing in the IPL and doing well in domestic cricket,' he added.
The Odisha T20 League as a Launchpad for Talent
Mohanty praised the Odisha T20 League as a vital platform for emerging cricketers, crediting strength and conditioning coach Shakti Swarup Mohapatra for keeping him fit across all formats. 'He has a very good training programme for me. He wants me to stay fit and play all three formats. Without an S&C coach, I feel it is very difficult to play,' he noted.
On the broader significance of state T20 leagues, he concluded: 'New talent is coming from all over India and people are watching these matches. Scouts are also coming, so it is a good platform for new stars to emerge. Those who do well here can get an opportunity to play in the IPL.'
Point of View
His coach-driven pivot from batting to pace, and his MRF Pace Foundation training represent a development pipeline that Indian cricket rarely celebrates loudly enough. The Odisha T20 League is doing precisely what state tournaments should — giving players like Mohanty a spotlight and scouts a scouting ground. The real question is whether the selectors at higher levels are watching closely enough to convert performances in tournaments like these into sustained opportunities at the next level.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rajesh Mohanty and which team does he play for in the Odisha T20 League?
Rajesh Mohanty is a pace bowler and former India U19 cricketer who plays for the Bhubaneswar Tigers in the Odisha T20 League. He is known for his clinical death-bowling and his process-driven approach to the game.
Why does Rajesh Mohanty wear the number 99 jersey?
Mohanty wears the number 99 jersey as a tribute to his childhood idol, former India captain Sourav Ganguly. He began cricket inspired by Ganguly's left-handed batting and medium-pace bowling, though he has since specialised as a pace bowler.
How did Rajesh Mohanty transition from batting to pace bowling?
Mohanty started as a top-order batter when he began playing cricket in 2015. His mentor and coach Deepak Mangaraj identified his potential as a pace bowler and encouraged him to focus on bowling, gradually leading him to give up batting as a primary role.
What role did the MRF Pace Foundation play in Mohanty's development?
The MRF Pace Foundation significantly elevated Mohanty's bowling, which he estimates was only 20-30 per cent developed before his stint there. The coaching helped him understand how to bowl to quality batsmen in domestic conditions.
Which former India U19 teammates does Rajesh Mohanty stay in touch with?
Mohanty remains in contact with Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Nehal Wadhera from his India U19 days. The group won the Asia Cup together, and Mohanty expressed pride in seeing them perform in the IPL and domestic cricket.
