Watched by Tim Paine in the T10 tournament in Melbourne, India-born batsman Jerrssis Wadia’s fearless hitting has accelerated his rise in Australian cricket. From missing his U-19s due to COVID to smashing a 16-ball 34 in the BBL, the Mumbai-born 24-year-old is now being tipped as South Australia’s ‘Next Travis Head’. New Delhi: Indian-origin batsman Jerrssis Wadia became a sensation on social media after he smoked 22 runs – three sixes – off the first three balls he faced in just the second match for the Adelaide Strikers against the Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). The clip went viral and even earned praise from average six-hitters like Hardik Pandya and Nicholas Pooran.“To be honest, I wanted to hit a six literally every ball I faced,” laughs Wadia. “It was just about being really clear, backing my skills and trying to be as aggressive as possible. Luckily I was able to hit three so that was nice.”“Honestly it was surreal. The first few days my Instagram just started blowing up. There were texts from so many Indians and Australians. I also got a few texts from top cricketers like Hardik Pandya and Nicholas Pooran. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I still get notifications every minute. It’s amazing how something like that and the whole environment can change your whole environment.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!However, the Pandya connection is not limited to text messages as both families go back a long way.
I wanted to hit a six literally every ball I faced to be honest
Jerriss Wadia
Growing up, Hardik took school fees from Wadia’s mother and even stayed at their home in Mumbai during his early days with the Indian cricket team. Hardik’s late father Himanshu was a great source of motivation for the Wadia household.
Jerrssis Wadia played for Baroda in age group cricket. (Michael Sullivan/SACA)
“They are close family friends — Krunal and Hardik. I have learned a lot from them. They are very senior to me. When Hardik burst onto the scene, I saw how tirelessly he worked. They practiced at our house. Seeing how their lives changed gave me hope that I could do the same. My dad, uncle and my grandfather were good friends that I had a good connection with Hardik’s someone.” he admired growing up,” says Wadia.The 24-year-old played his U-16 and U-19 cricket for Baroda before moving to Adelaide. Wadia’s father, Dilzan Wadia, is a Mumbai-based Bollywood actor, but it was his cricket-mad grandfather, Neville Wadia, who 16 years ago became the oldest player to score a century in minor cricket, setting himself a Guinness World Record.“My grandfather threw a ball at me when I was four and I hit it back. That was the first time I connected the ball and I was really happy,” says Wadia.Wadia talks about his roots and talks about his grandfather’s influence on his cricket.
My grandpa threw a ball at me when I was four and I hit it back. That was the first time I connected the ball and I was really happy,
Jerriss Wadia
“My family is from India. They are all in India. My parents are from Mumbai. I can speak proper Hindi, proper Gujarati and a little bit of Marathi, but not very clearly,” he says.“All my junior cricket was with the Baroda Cricket Association. My grandparents still live there. I lived and played with my grandparents all my life because my mum and dad worked in Mumbai. It was really difficult for them to take me to practice. My grandad was really keen and wanted me to become a cricketer. He was also the oldest player to score in Guinness, he was the oldest player in the world for me. Cricket kind of runs in our family,” he says.
Jerrssis Wadia plays for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (Photo credit: Michael Sullivan/SACA)
Jerrssis decided to move to Australia after the coronavirus pandemic brought cricket to a complete halt. He lost his prime years under 19 due to COVID and then decided to move down and seek greener pastures against his parents’ wishes.“I thought of moving to Australia just for cricket. I always wanted to become a professional cricketer. I played a lot of state cricket back home in India. I moved to Australia in 2022,” says Wadia.
I thought about moving to Australia just for cricket. I always wanted to become a professional cricketer.
Jerriss Wadia
“I missed the U-19s because of the COVID. As you know, the COVID was really bad in India. It was tough. I think the BCCI decided to cancel the junior tournaments. It was really tough because I missed my senior U-19 year. Once that happened, I knew it was going to be really tough to come through the system because the young cricketers are good in India.“I didn’t believe in myself at the time either. Honestly, I was young and I didn’t believe I could still do it. But something clicked and I just wanted to go. I wanted to leave the system and go back home. My parents didn’t agree and there were disagreements. It was hard in the beginning because my family didn’t help financially. Everything was hard in the beginning. But one thing I always enjoyed – I just wanted to be happy.”
Jerrssis Wadia of the Strikers plays a shot during the BBL match between Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers at The Gabba on December 27, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia (Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Eight months ago at a T10 tournament in Melbourne, former Australia captain Tim Paine was stunned to see a cricketer of Indian origin smoking sixes for fun. He asked the coaches, “Where did this guy come from?”“Tim Paine thought, wait, who’s the guy who came in? I haven’t seen him anywhere. And he’s hitting the first ball for a six out of nowhere,” says Wadia.
They are close family friends — Krunal and Hardik. I learned a lot from them
Jerriss Wadia
“I think that was the biggest change and the biggest shift in my cricketing life. It was an academy tournament. The Adelaide Strikers were playing the Melbourne Stars at the academy level. It was like the B team of the Adelaide Strikers. Luckily I got the opportunity. I was playing as a spinner so I didn’t get to bat in the first couple of games.”“It’s really difficult to bat in T10. And luckily on the day Paine was there, our top order came out and I went in to bat in the last two overs. I had eight or 12 balls and I hit two or three sixes. Then in the next game I got a bit higher chance. I hit a six off the first ball again and got around 30 from six or six balls.
Jerrssis Wadia plays a round shot into the net. (Photo credit: Michael Sullivan/SACA)
“Paine had a bit of a chat with me in Melbourne. From then on I started to believe that ‘hang on, I can actually play at this level and people are noticing me now’.” From then on I just worked hard. It has been eight months now and life has changed a bit,” says Wadia.As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and Wadia is no different. Cricket was in his roots, but it was the rise of the Pandya brothers that inspired him. If it was the Pandya brothers in Baroda, it was Tim Paine and Ryan Harris in Adelaide who took Wadia under their wing.“I met Paine in Melbourne earlier this year. He told me I had something in me to play at the next level. That gave me the strength to push harder and break down those doors. Paine was the guy who made me feel like I belonged at that level,” he recalls.
The goal is to play not just one match for Australia, but a long and sustainable career in all three formats
Jerriss Wadia
“He was the number one guy who gave me faith. The SACA coaches also helped me a lot, along with Ryan Harris. John Palmer is another coach who helped me. There’s also the Indian coach Levy Singh. A lot of people played a role in my life in Australia. I give credit to everyone. Every learning, every disagreement. I’m grateful,” says Wadia.In Paine, who is also the Australia A and Adelaide Strikers coach, Wadia found the right mentor. After this blitz, if he stays consistent the sky is the limit.“It hasn’t happened in a year. It’s been a long work in progress. Lots of reps, lots of practice, especially with the ramps. I have to keep evolving. This is just the beginning of my journey,” he says.After moving to Adelaide, Wadia established himself as a professional cricketer. Now he has another wish – to score centuries at The Adelaide Oval and Wankhede Stadium – one for the team he represents in the BBL and the other for his favorite IPL team (Mumbai Indians) whom he grew up watching.
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 23: Jerrssis Wadia of the Strikers during the BBL match between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars at Adelaide Oval on December 23, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
“But it was nice. It was a decent feeling. I was impressed.”“It’s about the work I did before all of this. This is just the platform that I’ve been fortunately given. The situation has allowed me to play what I’ve been working on. I’m glad it’s working, but now it’s about what I can add and how I can do it consistently. That’s another learning.”“The only thing that helped me was the hunger I had. There was no one at the start. It was hard personally. There was no one at the start,” he says.“The aim is to play not just one match for Australia, but a long and sustainable career in all three formats.
Jerrssis Wadia was discovered by Tim Paine
“I love Test cricket. I love four-day cricket. I love first-class cricket and red-ball cricket. I want to play all three formats. That’s the goal. Step by step. I want to play cricket at the highest level, against the best players. I want to improve and be tested,” he says.A Bollywood fan and Arijit Singh fan, Wadia lives his favorite Hindi movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – moving into someone else’s shoes, playing in the BBL and the adventure that the sport brings.It won’t be easy for Wadia going forward. After a sparkling start to the BBL, his quest for redemption has just begun. It will be chaotic – but it’s the chaos he always dreamed of: Dust, runs, centuries and wins.
