Meet Pranav Rajvanshi, the ‘AB’ de Villiers of Dwarka
Welcome To CitySpidey

Location

Meet Pranav Rajvanshi, the ‘AB’ de Villiers of Dwarka

He has already proved his mettle in the Under-14 category for Delhi and now, at 15, is preparing for selections to the Under-16.

Meet Pranav Rajvanshi, the ‘AB’ de Villiers of Dwarka

His friends fondly refer to him as 'AB' — for he wants to play like AB de Villiers someday. At the age of 15, he has established himself as one of the most promising wicket keepers and batsmen in Delhi, and has proved his mettle in the Under-14 category.  He is Dwarka’s Pranav Rajvanshi, who lives in Lovely Home Apartments in Sector 5.

Rajvanshi started playing cricket at the age of 5, and has never looked back since. He is currently preparing for selections to Delhi’s Under-16 category. He plays for the Rehman Club in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) League. Recently, he played a heroic 56-not-out innings to lead his team to victory in the T-20 match in the DDCA League.

His coach, Abhiskeh Mankotia, is full of praise for the boy wonder. “Pranav is different from the others," he says. "He knew it from very early on that he wanted to make cricket his career. It’s his passion — you can see him spending most of his time on the field.” Former railway player and coach, Praveen Bhatnagar, too, speaks similarly of this young prodigy. “Pranav is sound in technique," he says. "Be it batting or wicket keeping, he is one of the best budding players I have seen so far.”

The young cricketer calls his father his biggest strength. “My dad often accompanies me to match practice. I am a batsman, so he even bowls for me at times. His presence is my biggest motivation,” he says. His mother — a strict disciplinarian — ensures that he doesn’t miss out on his studies either.

Rajvanshi picks up the nuances of the game not only during training but also while watching the videos of AB de Villiers. Smiling coyly, he says, “I want to become like AB — he is my idol. I never miss any of his matches, even when my exams are on!”

There’s no shortcut to success, and Rajvanshi knows this well. He practises for four hours every day, five days a week. At home, he practises in front of the mirror, sometimes for almost two hours. “I know I cannot excel unless I practise. I never compromise on my training — not at any cost,” he says, in a voice filled with determination.