What makes Angkrish Raghuvanshi, IPL’s youngest half-centurion, one for the future?

“Did you meet SRK after the game?” It was the first question that Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s mother Malika asked him after his whirlwind 54 off 27 balls against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. It’s not because she is an admirer of the actor and KKR franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan, but she understands the crushing pressure on a sportsman and hence deliberately wants to talk about lighter stuff.

A former basketball player herself, she knows the challenges of a sportsperson. “I’m happy what he did but we know that the work has just started, he has a long way to go. We keep things normal back home, don’t discuss much about his game, instead we talk about something else. Like I asked him, did he meet SRK after the game?,” Malika told The Indian Express. Sometimes, they talk about weather or such-like trivial stuff.

Probe her on his blinding knock—where several virtues of his game stood out, like his tremendous bat-speed, the crisp bat-swing and the shot-discretion—she deflects with the usual platitudes. “I am happy what he did but we know that the work has just started, he has a long way to go,” she would say.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗮𝗴𝗵𝘂𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶?

What’s his ultimate dream?
How much his family means to him?

He shares all this and more post an impressive maiden #TATAIPL 50 👍 👍 – By @ameyatilak

WATCH 🎥 🔽 @KKRiders | @iamsrk

P.S- A special SRK story right there

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 4, 2024

From a family of sportspersons— Angkrish’s father has represented his country in tennis, the batsman’s younger brother Krishang is a budding tennis player who has moved to Spain to polish his skills and his uncle is former Mumbai opening batsman Sahil Kukreja—they are fully aware than one knock doesn’t make a summer, or a successful career. And Angkrish is just 18.

Love at first sight

He fell in love with the game the first time saw it on TV. When he was 11, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai and stayed with uncle Sahil. He then began to stay with his coach Abhishek Nayar, who is also assistant coach of KKR, so that he could cut travel time in the vast city. Nayar, the diligent former all-rounder with the most low-flung of batting stances, would mould his career. He took him to the grounds, made him play the game day in and day out, and honed his skills. He would even look after his diet and fitness regime. Back in Shivaji Park, he has been training with the KKR squad, which includes Rinku Singh and former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik, who this season moved to RCB.

Innovative!

Maiden IPL Fifty for Angkrish Raghuvanshi ✨

Head to @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia to watch the match LIVE#TATAIPL | #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/72oQQZIDbd

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2024

His hard work yielded results as he found his way into Mumbai age-group cricket before going to represent his country in the U-19 World Cup 2022, where he amassed 278 runs in 6 innings to finish as the leading run-scorer in the tournament in the West Indies. But before heading for the series he wanted his parents to meet coach VVS Laxman. “He called us and asked whether we could fly to Kolkata to watch him play at Eden Gardens. When we went there, he said, we should meet VVS sir. We were introduced to Laxman. He said I have played with so many cricketers and a lot of talented players but have never seen a player who can get so friendly with the entire team. Everyone is Angkrish best friends. He is the kind of guy who can be friendly to anyone,” his mothers said.

After the game the batsman elaborated on the role played by Nayar. “It was pretty simple. The way I have been practising in the past few weeks, the past few years with my coach Abhishek Nayar., the way he has made me practice I didn’t really have to think too much when I went out to bat. I just batted with my instincts and I just trusted that. What I did during practice was enough. He has made me face tough circumstances during practice,” he said in the post match press conference.

For an IPL rookie, the youngest to score a half-century, he showed remarkable mental toughness. He has been through tougher times. A few years ago, his brother Avneesh was diagnosed with blood cancer. The family was shattered, but he always remained with his brother and slept in the hospital. “Angkrish used to sleep with us in the hospitals. Those five years were the most dreadful. He will never leave his baby brother alone. Yes, we have provided him with everything, but the process of his brother’s treatment made him mentally tough,” Malika Raghuvanshi had told this newspaper. All that is bearing fruit. And he indeed met SRK.

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