LUCKNOW: At a time when teenage players are making headlines with their cricketing prowess, a quiet story is taking shape in the narrow streets of Saharanpur, away from the glare of stadium lights.Arnav’s journey, which played a key role in helping the world of cricket, is not based on privilege or resilience, but also on an extraordinary partnership with his disabled mother, who uses a wheelchair. With his father recovering from a stroke, the odds were stacked against him from the start.What could have been the end of a dream became the foundation of a wonderful journey. Inside his modest home in Punjabi Bagh, Arnav trains in a narrow corridor turned into a makeshift trap.At the other end, in a wheelchair, his mother Kasam Lata, his first coach, acts as his bowling partner, providing an unwavering support system.She bowls to him every day, not out of convenience, but out of determination.“I had a passion for cricket since childhood, but my family’s finances were poor. But my passion for cricket never let me stop,” Arnav told TOI. Arnav’s father, who once ran a small dairy business, had to close the operation after his illness. His elder brother gave up his cricketing aspirations to take up a job and support the household — and now funds Arnav’s cricketing expenses.With limited resources and initially no access to formal training, Kusum also stepped in.“When my child asks me to bowl in a certain way, I watch matches to improve myself,” she said. I try to learn variations and maintain a good length so that it is better to practice. She studies bowlers on television and mobile screens, imbibes techniques, and applies them in her home net sessions.“When I saw their dedication, I thought I should do something to help them move forward,” Kasim said.Arnav draws inspiration from icons like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, whose posters adorn his walls.“I want to play like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma,” he said. I love their shots.At the Nalanda Cricket Academy, coaches Vikrant and Vivek Sharma recognized his potential early. With his guidance and the support of Saharanpur Cricket Association chairman Akram Saifee, Arnav steadily rose through the ranks.His breakthrough moment came in January, when he played a crucial role in helping Uttar Pradesh win the Under-14 Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy.He scored 166 runs in 5 matches with a highest score of 48.Afterwards, the entire UP U-14 team was felicitated by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla in Delhi as a milestone in Arnav’s journey. He has appeared in U-16 trials.
