A wheelchair-bound mum’s bowling boosts a cricketer’s success LUCKNOW: At a time when teenagers are grabbing headlines with their cricketing skills, a quieter story is unfolding in the narrow lanes of Saharanpur, away from the glare of stadium lights.Having played a key role in helping the cricketing world, Arnav’s journey is built not only on privilege or resilience, but also on an extraordinary partnership with his disabled mother, who uses a wheelchair. The odds were stacked against him from the start when his father recovered from paralysis.What could have been the end of a dream became the foundation for a remarkable journey. In their modest home in Punjabi Bagh, Arnav’s trains turned into a makeshift network in a narrow corridor.At the other end, seated in a wheelchair, his mother Kusum Lata, his first coach, acts as his bowling partner and provides an unwavering support system.She mingles with him every day, not out of convenience, but out of obligation.“I had a passion for cricket since childhood, but my family’s financial situation was unfavorable. But my obsession with cricket never allowed me to stop,” Arnav told TOI. Arnav’s father, who once ran a small dairy, had to close down after falling ill. His elder brother gave up his own cricketing aspirations to work and support the household – and now funds Arnav’s cricketing expenses.With limited resources and no access to structured training initially, Kusum also entered.“When my kid tells me to bowl a certain way, I watch the matches to improve. I try to learn variations and maintain a good length to improve his training,” she said. He studies ball players on television and mobile screens, absorbs techniques and applies them in home networks.“When I saw his dedication, I thought I should also do something so that he can move forward,” said Kusum.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 like their batting a lot,” he said with his eyes fixed on the Indian team.At Nalanda Cricket Academy, coaches Vikrant and Vivek Sharma recognized his potential early. Buoyed by their guidance and the support of Saharanpur Cricket Association president Akram Saifi, Arnav steadily climbed 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 with a highest score of 48 in 5 matches.Further, the entire UP Under-14 team was felicitated in Delhi by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, marking a milestone in Arnav’s journey. Appeared in under-16 Tests.
