Aniket Verma‘s childhood hero is Hardik Pandya.
Aniket was not only captivated by Hardik Pandya’s strokeplay but also intrigued by his backstory. His uncle, Amit Verma, narrated the story of how Hardik and his brother Krunal survived on Maggi for three years due to financial constraints. “Aniket must have been 14 back then. I read it in a newspaper and told him the story while we were on our way to his academy,” Amit told TimesofIndia.com.
The distance between Verma’s rented accommodation and the Ankur Cricket Academy, where Aniket trained, was 13 kilometers. Amit recalls that his nephew kept asking him about Hardik Pandya’s journey, his struggles, and rise. “That day, I saw the spirit, the passion, and the hunger in him. He wanted to make it big. Once we reached the stadium, he touched my feet and said, ‘I complain about trivial things.’ I laughed, but he was serious,” he says.
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Fast forward to the present, and Aniket is making waves in the IPL with his six-hitting abilities. In just 56 balls, he has already hit 12 sixes. On Sunday, against Delhi Capitals, with his team at 25 for 3, he smashed a 41-ball 74, studded with five fours and six sixes. Against Lucknow Super Giants, he clobbered a 13-ball 36 with five maximums. The sample size is small, but against spin, he is as effective as his Sunrisers teammate Heinrich Klaasen. He picks up lengths early and muscles the ball over the boundary rope.
EARLY LIFE
Aniket lost his mother when he was three. A year later, his father remarried. This forced his grandmother, Parvati Verma, to move to Bhopal alongside Amit.
“We moved to Bhopal. I had just finished school. My late father was in the Railways, so my mother received his pension. She took care of me and Anni (Aniket’s nickname). Since I called her ‘Ma’ or ‘Mummy,’ Aniket also picked it up and calls her the same. It was tough, but we managed,” recounts Amit.
When Aniket turned eight, Amit, a cricket enthusiast, took him to Nand Jeet Singh, a coach at Railways Youth Sports Club in Bhopal. Impressed by young Aniket’s hand-eye coordination and aware of their financial situation, Nand Jeet waived his fees. Aniket trained there for two years before Nand Jeet sent him to Jyoti Prakash Tyagi. “Unique kid. He called me before joining the squad. I gave him my blessings. The family stayed in one of my flats for years. I have seen him grow in stature,” says Singh.
FOR CHACHU WITH LOVE
Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Aniket Verma (R) with his uncle Amit Verma (L).
Before the IPL started, when TimesofIndia.com reached out to Aniket for an interview, his first response was, “Brother, I haven’t achieved anything yet. I’m not even a regular for MP. Can we do this interview after the IPL season?” After some persuasion, the youngster replied, “You talk to my uncle. He can tell you better. His life has revolved around me.”
Amit, who returned to Bhopal after traveling with Aniket for the first three matches, became emotional when he unwrapped the gift Aniket gave him. Aniket had asked him to open it once he reached home. It was a branded shoe with a message: “To the world’s best Chachu.”
“My first job was at an automobile showroom. My salary was Rs 3,000. He was playing with torn shoes. I immediately took him to the shop and bought him sports shoes that cost Rs 1,200. I had never worn something that expensive in my life, but for him, I would have done anything. He slept with his new shoes that day,” laughs Amit, who now works for a private company and earns Rs 20,000 per month.
A NATURAL
Aniket’s coach, Jyoti Prakash Tyagi, says his ward was always a natural and played with aggressive intent, but he feels the 23-year-old is still raw and needs to work on certain areas.
“There is no question about his work ethic. I have seen that those who don’t think about Plan ‘B’ or ‘C’ are the ones who nail their Plan ‘A’ with precision. I never stopped him from playing aggressive cricket. Now, cricket has changed. His strength is to go aerial and take on the bowlers. Why curb that aggression? It’s his strength,” says Tyagi.
“I still feel he needs to learn how to finish games. He must develop that temperament if he wants to play for his country. He will learn from experience, and in the next games, I would like him to take his team home. The intent should remain the same,” he says.
Aniket was scouted by Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2024 Madhya Pradesh Premier League. Playing for Bhopal Leopards, he amassed 273 runs in six innings, hitting a staggering 25 sixes.
“We were over the moon when he was hitting sixes for fun in the MPL. Never thought he would do the same in the IPL,” said Amit with a laugh.
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