Inspired by Virat, 16-Year-Old Abhiraj Eyes U-19 Cap After Stellar Season

Abhiraj, aged 16, emerged as the top run-getter in the country's premier under-16 red-ball tournament, with 918 runs in eight matches and 10 innings at an average of 91.80, including four centuries and four fifties. Haryana ended up as the semifinalists.

On his performances this season, Abhiraj told ANI that in particular, he is happy to have scored the runs when his team needed them.

"It was a very good season for me. Throughout the tournament, I scored plenty of runs for my team. The most important part was that when the team needed a run, I scored a run at that time. So, I am pretty happy."

Abhiraj said that he started to play the sport because of Virat during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and admires him not only for his batting, but also for his aggression and ability to switch his mind on and off on the field and away from it.

"I would say Virat Kohli (his inspiration) because I am just 16 right now. Initially, when I started watching the 2015 World Cup, the way Virat sir played, it was really phenomenal."

"In 2019, Rohit sir was also there. But, Virat sir, it's not just about cricket. I would say his approach towards the game as well. His aggressiveness, how he switches on and off in the field. There are plenty of things," he continued.

On the 15-year-old prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has taken the cricketing world by storm with his white-ball heroics for India U19, and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL, Abhiraj said that the flashy southpaw is a "generational talent" and has put in a lot of hard work.

"He is a generational talent, I would say. Because it's not just about talent. I think there is a lot of hard work as well, behind the scenes. We do not see the hard work behind it. We are only seeing the result. That he is scoring runs, scoring 60, 100, 50. But the hard work behind those 100 runs is behind the curtains. We don't know what that is," he said.

In the ongoing IPL season, Sooryavanshi has made 440 runs in 11 matches, including a ton and two fifties and his audacious strokeplay against some of the world's best such as Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, etc., has left fans awestruck.

Abhiraj also appreciated the support of his family, saying that they never put him under any pressure and he could manage to balance cricket and studies well.

Haryana, though have not won the Ranji Trophy since the 1990-91 season, has been doing well as of late in limited overs cricket, winning the 2023-24 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and emerging as runners-up in the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year. Abhiraj looks forward to a red-ball call-up in particular.

"It is a dream, I would obviously love to make my Ranji debut and win it for my team. The Ranji Trophy is a very big domestic cricket tournament. So, whenever I get a chance, I would love to make a great impact on the team," he said.

On his more immediate goals, Abhiraj said that he wants to earn his under-19 cap for India and would love to play for Delhi Capitals in the IPL because of his family's cricketing connection with the nation's capital.

"My father, he used to play professional cricket in his earlier days as well. My brother, he plays cricket from Delhi as well... at the age of 5, I started playing. In the beginning, it was just about enjoyment. But, slowly, I got more professional in it," he signed off.

- ANI