MCA to continue Pranav Dhanawade's scholarship

Some great news finally for the youngster Pranav Dhanawade, who piled up a staggering 1,009 unbeaten runs in an innings last year. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to continue Pranav’s scholarship program, which means the 17-year-old will continue to get all the benefits that the MCA had announced.

There were some rumours flooding on social media that the cricketing body has shown a cold shoulder to the youngster but the association has come out to give a confirmation on this issue. They also said that his performances in academics and sports will be scrutinised annually.

These rumours emerged after the youngster was yet to receive the monthly scholarship amounting to Rs 10,000 this year. But a MCA official soon cleared things and put the speculations to bed. This means that he will be given the pending amount depending on his performances.

“We are continuing his scholarship. It was decided that his academic and cricketing activities will be reviewed every year. We have given him the scholarship amount for 2016. Since the cricketing season got over on May 31, the MCA will review his cricketing activities and the same will be forwarded to the Managing Committee. We just want to ensure that he is playing cricket,” the official told PTI.

By 2021, five years post the beginning of the contract, the cricketer would have got Rs 6 lakh as a scholarship from the MCA.

First ever player to notch four figures in cricket history

In January 2016, Pranav entered the history books by becoming the first ever player in the history of the game to notch a four-figure score in one inning. He batted for 395 minutes in a two-day game against Arya Gurukul in the Bhandari Cup conducted by the MCA and scored 1,009 off 323 balls, remaining unbeaten. The 17-year-old struck an eye-popping 59 sixes and 129 fours in that innings.

All of a sudden, he stole the headlines on the front pages of every newspaper across the country and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar too gifted him a cricket bat. Post that, he hasn’t been able to reflect a performance similar to attract him the attention.