Bangladesh's first Tripura ethnic cricketer, Anik Deb Barman, is now a part of the Bangladesh Under-19 squad. The 6-foot-3-inch tall pacer dreams of playing international cricket for his country.
Anik is in the squad currently undergoing practice and trial matches with 30 other players as they prepare to form the Bangladesh team for the Under-19 World Cup in 2026. He hails from Kaliguchia village in Bahubal, under the Bahubal police station in Habiganj district.
After performing well for the Habiganj district team, he advanced to the divisional team, where he further distinguished himself and went on to play in the National Youth Cricket League. Anik shared the story of his rise to prominence while speaking to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Saturday.
"We had a black-and-white TV in our house. I used to watch a lot of games there as a kid, mostly India's matches. By then, I knew almost all the cricketers' names. That's when my love for cricket began. I used to play with my older brothers. From there, I slowly made my way here," Anik said.
However, the journey wasn't without challenges, especially from his family. His father initially opposed to Anik's cricket aspirations as he did not want his elder son to waste time playing the sport. Anik recalled, "My family was not supportive in the beginning. I used to run away from home to play cricket, with people coming to fetch me for games. My father would object asking what I would achieve by playing cricket. I have been beaten a lot for it."
Despite these challenges, Anik remained steadfast in his passion, often sneaking away to pursue his love for cricket. When he started playing at the district level, his father and other family members began to encourage him. For now, Anik's immediate goal is to secure a place in the youth team, but his dreams in cricket are much bigger.
"My dream is to play for the Bangladesh national team one day. Now that I have this opportunity, I feel like I can move forward. The coaches have told me, 'you bowl well.' I believe I will improve even more in the future," he expressed his hope.
Anik considers Taskin Ahmed as his idol. He also admires Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, often watching their bowling videos for inspiration.
