Young all-rounder Prashant Veer’s father Ramendra Tripathi, a village-level school teacher in Amethi, has a small, but important message for his son, who smashed the record for uncapped players, fetching R14.20 crore from Chennai Super Kings at the IPL auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. “We always knew Prashant was hugely talented, but not in our wildest dreams did we expect R14.2 crores. But though we are very happy, I have told Prashant to remain humble and not be swayed by this sudden windfall and popularity, and focus solely on furthering his career,” Ramendra told mid-day.

“I have told Prashant to continue his cricket journey sincerely like he has been doing from the time he was attracted to the sport at the age of five. At this stage in his career, more than the money, we want him to go on and play for the county at the highest level. Our generations have served the country; my father was a government employee, I am a government teacher and now I want Prashant to serve the nation as a cricketer,” added Ramendra.