Indian leg cricket team captain Chandan Ray recalls meeting MS Dhoni; talks about goals for the coming season (Exclusive) 

The National Leg Cricket Championships are set to begin on February 21, and Indian leg cricket captain Chandan Ray will be seen in action leading defending champion Odisha.

The Odisha leg cricket team won the championship in 2018 under Chandan Ray's leadership.

Leg cricket is a combination of cricket and football. Most of the rules are the same as cricket. However, the players hit the ball with their legs and not cricket bats.

Also, a football is used in this sport instead of a cricket ball, making it challenging to hit maximums.

While the sport is still growing in India and Asia, the Indian leg cricket team has done well in recent times, even recording a series win over Nepal. They also finished runners-up in the 2016 South Asian Championship.

Chandan Ray has done an excellent job as skipper of the Indian leg cricket team.

This game is similar to the sport of cricket: Chandan Ray

Before the National Championships got underway in Uttar Pradesh, Sportskeeda caught up with Chandan Ray.

The 21-year-old from Bargarh spoke at length about a range of topics. He also recalled his meeting with MS Dhoni in Cuttack. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Chandan Ray wishes to take the sport to the next level

Sportskeeda: You are the captain of India and Odisha. How different is it captaining a leg cricket team compared to a cricket side or a football team?

Chandan Ray: Look, I once met Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack during the India vs. England series of 2017. I had asked him the same question. He explained: 'For me, the format of the sport doesn't matter. I am leading the nation. That's the biggest thing. I have a national level responsibility.' Managing the team on the ground is definitely a big task for you because you have to deal with the different mindsets of the people. You have to push them to perform the best. I know how to get the job done by my players. We set the plan and accordingly execute it on the field.

Sportskeeda: What are the challenges you face as a leg cricket player?

Chandan Ray: The difficulties which we face is like, it is not a global sport, first of all, and it is not yet registered for Ministry of Sports or any other associations like IOA or SAI. The first difficulty is funding, because the game is not so big and registered yet. So, there is a challenge to arrange funds for practices, matches, and participation. Secondly, the key is that every athlete needs recognition from the government's side. As I mentioned, we are not yet registered, so we are not getting facilities like badminton and athletics. The government is supporting the athletes in those fields. That is the biggest challenge I feel leg cricket is facing right now.

Sportskeeda: Tell us something about your experience playing against Nepal and Bhutan at the 2016 South Asian Championships.

Chandan Ray: We lost the final against Nepal in the tri-series. So, they are definitely a strong side. We can't say they have not progressed because we have already lost a match against them. I was leading the team in the 2016 South Asian Championship in Nepal, where Nepal defeated us.

I had seen the intent in each and every player, the management, the federation, they are giving everything from their end to put the sport at the top of their country. The Bhutan team is working hard on their game also, and I think in the coming days, they will also perform better.

Sportskeeda: How difficult is it to clear the boundary in leg cricket because the players have to hit the ball with their legs?

Chandan Ray: Hitting a six is definitely a tough task. You have to work on your leg strength, you have to do exercises accordingly, and in football, you are allowed to play with studs. But here, you have to play with plain shoes, and studs are not allowed in leg cricket. You can't say these are issues, but it is up to you, like you have to work on your strength, you have to work on your legs, so definitely you can hit the sixes out of the park.

Sportskeeda: Cricket is trying to attract new fans with the T10 format. Can T10 leg cricket be a success in the future?

Chandan Ray feels patience levels of young fans is very low

Chandan Ray: This game is similar to the sport of cricket. In India, people have given so much love to cricket. If you talk about the T10 leg cricket championship and the T10 format of cricket, right now, the youth doesn't have the patience to watch Test cricket. The format changed to T20s first and gradually now it has come to T10s. People are going for the fastest format of the game.

Sportskeeda: After a long break, the leg cricket players will be on the field soon. What are your goals being the Indian leg cricket team skipper?

Chandan Ray: We are looking forward to a few international series where we can participate, perform, and win the championship. At the same time, I want the sport to get recognized by the Ministry of Sports. The government should come forward, the sports minister should come forward because it is an Indian origin sport. It is played across India and also in the neighboring countries. Thirdly, for the growth and the funding of the sport, because I feel the sport will grow with sponsorships.