LUCKNOW: While teenage cricket prodigies often dominate headlines, a quieter yet inspiring story unfolds in the narrow lanes of Saharanpur, far from the stadium lights. This is the journey of Arnav, whose cricketing success is not solely rooted in privilege or resilience, but in an extraordinary partnership with his disabled mother, Kusum Lata, who uses a wheelchair. The odds were stacked against him from the start, with his father recovering from paralysis.
Home becomes training ground
What could have been the end of a dream became the foundation for a remarkable journey. Inside their modest home in Punjabi Bagh, a narrow corridor has been transformed into a makeshift net. At one end, Arnav practices his shots. At the other, seated in her wheelchair, his mother Kusum Lata acts as his bowling partner, providing unwavering support. She bowls to him every day, not out of convenience, but out of sheer commitment.
“I had a passion for cricket since childhood, but my family’s financial condition was unfavourable. However, my obsession with cricket never let me stop,” Arnav told TOI. His father once ran a small dairy business but had to shut it down after falling ill. His elder brother sacrificed his own cricketing ambitions to take up a job and support the household, and now funds Arnav’s cricketing expenses.
Mother learns bowling techniques
With limited resources and no access to structured training initially, Kusum stepped in. “When my child tells me to bowl in a certain way, I watch matches to improve myself. I try to learn variations and maintain a good length so that his practice improves,” she said. She studies bowlers on television and mobile screens, absorbs techniques, and applies them in their home net sessions.
“When I saw his dedication, I thought I should also do something so that he can move forward,” Kusum added. Arnav draws inspiration from cricketing icons like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, whose posters adorn his walls. “I want to play like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I like their shots very much,” he said, his eyes set on representing India one day.
Academy recognition and breakthrough
At Nalanda Cricket Academy, coaches Vikrant and Vivek Sharma recognized his potential early. With their guidance and support from Saharanpur Cricket Association chairman Akram Saifi, Arnav steadily climbed through the ranks. His breakthrough moment came in January, when he played a key 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.
Subsequently, the entire UP Under-14 team was felicitated in Delhi by BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, marking a milestone in Arnav’s journey. He has also appeared in the Under-16 trials.
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