EXCLUSIVE | ‘I Would Love To Play For…’: Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey, Who Bagged Historic 8-Fer In T20I, Spills The Beans On His IPL Dream Team, Praises Virat Kohli & Ravindra Jadeja

Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey was on a roll against Mymanmar after the left-arm spinner picked up a record tumbling 8-wicket haul in the T20I fixture. In an exclusive conversation with NewsX.com, Sonam who is a Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli fan talked about his spell, his dream of playing in the IPL and Bhutan’s cricketing culture.

“Taking eight wickets (in one innings) felt like a dream. I never went into the match thinking about achievements or records. For me, it was just like any normal game day. There was nothing special or different in my preparation. I treated it like any other match.”

Sharing his cricketing journey and how he got into the sport, the spinner said, “Most kids in Bhutan grow up playing football, but I wasn’t very interested in it. We used to play gully cricket near my house, and I was properly introduced to the sport when I was in Class 6. That’s when I got enrolled at an Academy. I played at the district level in 2016, and I made my senior team debut in 2022 (against Malaysia). It has been a long journey, but a very rewarding one.”

Sonam Yeshey

Just like every young cricketer, Sonam who has 38 wickets in 35 T20Is, too wants to play the IPL and his favourite teams are CSK and RCB. 

“The player I look up to the most is Ravindra Jadeja. I admire his all-round abilities and mindset. I do dream of playing in the IPL someday, if possible. I would love to play for CSK or RCB. I’m a huge fan of Virat Kohli,” he further said. 

Sonam Yeshey

The 22-year-old lauded the Bhutan Cricket Board for creating a proper structure for the players and conducting tournaments for scouting new talents. “Cricket was not very popular in Bhutan when I was growing up. It was difficult at times, but the Bhutan Cricket Association and the management always supported us. They have been the main pillar behind whatever success we are achieving today,” he said. 

“It is now the second most popular sport in Bhutan. The board conducts school tournaments, and talented players are picked and assigned to zonal coaches for further development. From there on, we go for the trials and the players are selected for the senior team.” 

“We have two major domestic tournaments—the BCB T20 Smash and the BCB Super 50. Each competition has around eight to ten teams, and selections for the national team happen through these performances and selection camps,” he concluded. 

Also Read: Who Is Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey? Bowler Who Bagged 8-Wicket Haul In A T20I Against Myanmar