Orphaned, ‘head of family’ at 16, India junior captain at 18: UP teen Mohammad Amaan’s journey

At 16, Mohammad Amaan was orphaned – and weighed down with the role of being the “head of the family”, responsible for his three younger siblings. His mother, Sayba, died during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020; his father, Mehtab, a truck driver who had lost his job, died after a long bout of illness two years later.

Amaan had two choices: to either continue to play cricket, or give up his dream and look for odd jobs.

His perseverance paid off, as the 18-year-old on Saturday was named the captain of India’s Under-19 one-day cricket team that will take on Australia U-19 in Puducherry next month. The team includes Samit Dravid, son of former India captain and World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid.

Looking back at the last few years, Amaan, a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, is not sure how he survived those “dark days”.

“When I lost my father, it felt like I suddenly grew up in one day,” he tells The Indian Express. “I was the head of the family and had to look after my younger sister and two brothers. I told myself I needed to give up cricket, and even looked for jobs in Saharanpur, but nothing worked out. However, a few people wanted me to continue my game and were willing to help,” he says.

He pauses in the middle of the conversation, and asks: “Have you ever slept hungry?”

It’s almost as if on one of the biggest days of his fledgling career, Amaan is overcome by the memories of the difficult years which “shaped” him as a person and player.

“I have,” he says, replying to his own question. “Bhook se bada kuch nahi (nothing is bigger than hunger). I never waste my food now because I know how hard it is to earn it. We used to have UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) age group trials in Kanpur, I would travel by train in the general compartment, sitting near the toilet as it was so crowded. Now, when I travel on flights and stay in a good hotel, I just thank God for it.”

Amaan recalls the days when he slept on an empty stomach, used the daily allowance he earned while on cricket tours to feed his family, and saved every paisa earned during the last U-19 season to repair his home.

But, he’s grateful he could pursue his dream. “I cherish all those moments. I can’t explain how hard the times were,” he says, grateful for the help of a few well-wishers, like his coach Rajeev Goyal.

Goyal recalls how Amaan reached out to him in desperation, seeking a job to support his family. “He told me koi kapde ke dukan pe naukri laga do, ghar mein paise nahi hai (get me a job at any clothes shop, there’s no money at home),” Goyal says. “I asked him to come to my academy and coach young players. I did whatever I could. So, he used to be at the ground for eight hours daily. It is this hard work that has paid off,” says Goyal.

“My inner voice told me not to give up. I told myself to keep trying and the darkness would soon be over. I had no option. If I have to feed my family, cricket is the only thing I know,” says Amaan.

He brought the fire to the cricket field, where he quickly made a name for himself. Last season, Amaan scored 363 runs, including four half-centuries, in eight innings for the UP U-19 team in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. He was also the second-highest run-getter in the U-19 Challenger Series, scoring 294 runs at an average of 98. Earlier this year, he was a stand-by for the U-19 World Cup in South Africa.

“He is a very disciplined cricketer. He understands the value of the game. That is why he never gets distracted, unlike many cricketers of his age,” says Goyal. “He’s come from nothing, and survived irreparable personal losses.”

Hours after being named the India U-19 captain, Amaan recalls a conversation he once had with his father. “My father never liked me playing cricket. He always told me, ‘yeh ameeron ka khel hai, gareeb ka kuch nahi hota (this is a rich man’s sport, the poor don’t benefit from it)… I never listened to him,” he says.

“When my father lost his job in 2016, we had to sell our house and used that money to make ends meet. I wish my parents could have seen this day, it would have made them so proud,” he adds.

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