Robin Minz is an Indian cricketer who became the first tribal boy from Jharkhand to earn a place in the IPL training with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 auction.
Wiki/Biography
Robin Minz was born on Friday, 13 September 2002 (age 21 years; as of 2023) in Gumla, Jharkhand. His zodiac sign is Virgo. His hometown is Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand. He studied till class 10. [1]News 18 When Robin was two years old, his father observed him trying to hit pebbles with a stick. In response, his father made a bat from wood and bought a ball from the market, marking the beginning of Robin’s cricketing journey. After some years, his father was relocated to Ranchi, and the family started living in Namkum, approximately 15 kilometres from the city. Robin became more involved in playing cricket when he started attending school. In an interview, his father mentioned the challenges of affording the education of his three children. There were times when he had to borrow money and sacrifice his essential needs to support Robin’s cricketing dreams. Despite these difficulties, he did his best to aid Robin in pursuing his passion for cricket. According to Robin’s mother, once, Robin performed exceptionally well in Khunti (a district in Jharkhand). Reporters visited their home, and her picture was featured in the newspapers the next day. Playfully, she called Robin’s father to share the news, mentioning that her picture made it to the papers while his did not. In a different interview, Robin’s mother mentioned that when they first went to a sports goods store to buy a bat and other equipment for him, they initially thought they would spend around Rs. 2000. To their surprise, the bat alone cost Rs. 5000. The shopkeeper seemed suspicious, wondering if they could afford it. Despite the challenge, they managed to borrow some money and purchase the kit. He began playing cricket at the age of 8. His father, inclined toward sports due to his military background, moved the family to Ranchi. It was there that Robin was introduced to cricket. Similar to many kids of the 2000s, he wanted to become like legendary cricketer, MS Dhoni. In an interview, Robin’s father mentioned that despite lacking knowledge about cricket, he would take Robin and his sisters to the park and bowl with Robin. In an interview, he said,
I have taught him imaandaari (honesty) and wafadari (loyalty). I hope he stays grounded, chases his dream, gives his 100 per cent and keeps working hard. At 9 Bihar Regiment, our war cry is ‘Karam hi dharam hai’ (Work is worship). I have told him to keep this in mind.”
Robin Minz as a child
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Weight (approx.): 70 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 38′ Waist 30′ Biceps 12′
Family
He belongs to the Adivasi community. [2]ANI
Parents & Siblings
Robin’s father’s name is Francis Xavier Minz, a former army personnel who now works as a security guard at Ranchi airport. His mother’s name is Elis Minz, who is a homemaker.
Robin Minz with his parents
He has two sisters and one of his sister’s name is Karishma.
Career
As a left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, he represented Jharkhand in Under-19 and Under-25 cricket. In 2022, he played an outstanding innings of 73 not out from 35 balls in a T20 tournament in Odisha. In the IPL 2024 auction, both Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans actively bid for Robin Minz, beginning with his base price of Rs. 20 lakh. The fierce competition led to a significant contract for him, as he ultimately signed a deal worth Rs. 3.6 crore, which was 18 times his base price.
Facts/Trivia
- He is known by the name Ranchi ka Gayle for his batting style. [3]The Indian Express
- He received his training under Chanchal Bhattacharya.
- His batting style is the left-hand bat, and his bowling style is slow left-arm orthodox.
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- Robin looks up to Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his role model, gaining inspiration since childhood through valuable guidance on agility, quick reflexes, and the art of wicketkeeping.
- Robin is known to be a quiet person as mentioned by his family and neighbors. His school even called his parents once and asked them to help him become more talkative due to his quiet nature.
- In an interview, Robin’s father mentioned that MS Dhoni met him at the airport and promised that if no team chose Robin in the IPL 2024 auction, Dhoni would make sure that Chennai Super Kings selected him.
- After completing his tenth standard, Robin decided to pursue a cricket career, temporarily pausing his education. Robin learned his cricket skills under the guidance and coaching of Chanchal Bhattacharya, SP Gautam, and Asif Haq at the Sonet Cricket Club in Ranchi. In an interview, his coach Chanchal Bhattacharya who is also MS Dhoni’s one-time coach talked about Robin and said,
He had been playing with us at Sonnet for a couple of years. He was always a natural, aggressive hitter of the ball. He isn’t Dhoni yet, but when Dhoni first came to me, we saw that even if he scored just 10 runs, he would hit a six. Robin is the same. They are identical in that respect. Robin is what we call a hard-hitter.
