Two rising South Surrey cricketers were part of the team representing B.C. in U17 Canada Cup play last week in Toronto. The India-born Bhagat brothers – Dhruv, 16, and Kartik, 14 – moved to Ocean Park from New Delhi, with dad Ashish and mom Bhavna, just over a year ago. But even in that short period of time, the talented Elgin Park Secondary students have made their mark with the West Vancouver Cricket Club, Dhruv even receiving the club trophy for most improved player last year. Travelling to the North Shore every week for practices may seem intense, but not when one considers that when the cricket-oriented family emigrated to Canada, proximity to the West Vancouver Club – one of the most active in Western Canada – was a major factor in settling on the West Coast. “Every time we searched the Internet for cricket in Canada, Vancouver would come up,” said Dhruv, an all-rounder who combines skills at bat with off-spin bowling. He admits he’s been obsessed with the game since he was four. “As soon as I started walking I was playing cricket,” he says. “In India, it’s like ice hockey is here – everybody knows how to play it. All the kids are playing and practising six hours a day. “It’s in our blood, basically. You develop an interest in it early. It connects with us, and it’s also a good team sport that involves a lot of kids – you need 22 people to play it properly.”
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