Lalit Upadhyay has gone from fringe to centre stage

A new and improved version of Lalit Upadhyay revels in the limelight on the big stage

By Mihir Vasavda


Lalit Upadhyay (left), who scored two goals in India’s 5-1 win over Canada on Saturday, is the tournament’s joint top-scorer in terms of field goals. (Source: PTI)

Lalit Upadhyay has always had a ‘kamartod’ dribble. Those swivels and spins so deadly and instinctive, that they often leave the opponents twisted by the hips. Those smooth-as-Banaras-silk dodges are the reason he got the national team call-up in the first place. But they’re also why Upadhyay’s career came to a grinding halt just six months ago. “Woh kaate hue player ko phir kaatega,” grumbles India forward SV Sunil. “I have literally scolded him so many times for that. I told him, ‘if you have beaten a player, move forward.’ But he returned to the same player and tried to dodge him again.”