LUCKNOW: While the teenage prodigy is making headlines with his cricketing skills, a quieter story is taking shape in the narrow lanes of Saharanpur, away from the dazzling lights of the stadium.Arnav has played a pivotal role in the world of cricket, and his journey has been built not just on privilege or resilience, but on an extraordinary partnership with his disabled mother, who uses a wheelchair. As his father recovers from paralysis, the odds are stacked against him from the start.What was originally the end of a dream became the basis of an extraordinary journey. At their humble home in Bagh, Punjab, Arnav trains in a narrow corridor turned into a makeshift net.At the other end, his wheelchair-bound mother Kusum Lata, his first coach and his bowling partner, provided him with an unwavering support system.She bowled to him every day, not out of convenience but out of commitment.“I have been passionate about cricket since my childhood but my family’s financial situation was not good. But my obsession with cricket never let me stop,” Arnav told TOI. Arnav’s father used to run a small dairy business and had to close the business after falling ill. His elder brother gave up his cricket aspirations and started working to support the family and now provides Arnav with cricket expenses.With limited resources and no initial access to structured training, Kusum also stepped in.“When my kid tells me to bowl a certain way, I watch games to improve myself. I try to learn variations and maintain good length so that his practice improves,” she said. She studies bowlers on television and mobile screens, absorbs technology, and applies it to home online lessons.“When I saw his dedication, I thought I should do something as well so that he could keep going,” Kusum 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. I really like their shots,” he said, who aims to represent India one day.At the Nalanda Cricket Academy, coaches Vikrant and Vivek Sharma recognized his potential early on. Under the guidance and support of Saharanpur Cricket Association president Akram Saifi, Arnav has steadily climbed up the rankings.His breakthrough moment came in January when he played a key role in helping Uttar Pradesh win the U-14 Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy.He scored 166 points in 5 games, with a maximum score of 48 points.Next, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla congratulated the entire UP Under-14 team in Delhi, marking a milestone in Arnav’s journey. He participated in the under-16 trials.
