Swiggy funds delivery agent's cricket coaching after Netherlands net bowler selection

Lokesh Kumar, 29, is a left-arm-pacer-turned-wrist-spin bowler and was chosen to be part of the Netherlands' preparatory camp.

Lokesh Kumar, a Swiggy delivery executive for the past four years in Chennai, recently found himself making a delivery that extended beyond food orders. It was a delivery of dreams - dreams filled with cricketing glory. Lokesh's journey took an unexpected turn when he was selected as a net bowler for the Netherlands Cricket Team during the ongoing World Cup.

Now, Swiggy has decided to sponsor the 29-year-old's cricket coaching for a year. Lokesh has called this support as a game-changer, especially in a country where cricket coaching can be prohibitively expensive, Swiggy said in a blog.

Swiggy’s food marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor met Lokesh after his selection and announced the company's funding decision in a LinkedIn post.

“At Swiggy, we are very proud of him (qualifying to bowl in the nets in a World Cup !) and as a small gesture are funding his entire year of cricket coaching. Throughout his time at Swiggy, he has delivered 1176 orders! Just as he made stellar deliveries with us, we hope Lokesh, a spinner, will create new records on the cricket field too,” Kapoor wrote. Lokesh was presented a Swiggy jersey that said 1176.

Lokesh, a cricket enthusiast, had been actively involved in state-level cricket for nearly five years.

He said, "I went from playing league matches to suddenly bowling for the Dutch team as part of the World Cup! I never imagined I would be talking about it all." Lokesh's journey began with a simple advertisement by the Dutch cricket team, seeking assistance in preparing for spin bowling. He applied and the call he received left him beyond surprised.

Lokesh trained with the Dutch national team for five days, describing his experience as "unbelievable."

He had an early job as a cricket coach for kids, hoping it would bring him closer to his goal. But he had less time to practice, and his dream of becoming a national cricket player seemed distant.

Then, he started working at Swiggy. The flexibility of working as a Swiggy delivery executive allowed him to balance his job and his cricketing ambitions.

Lokesh is a is a left-arm-pacer-turned-wrist-spin bowler and his favourite cricketers, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, serve as his inspiration. Looking ahead, he aspires to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and ultimately represent the Indian Cricket Team.