ByAnupam Pandey, SportsCafe Editor
When I started playing cricket at 12 under Sambhav bhaia it has my journey started at the Jaipur coaching camp in Farrukhabad. There was nothing except harassment or trauma and all one thing he always taught me was "Don't let one bad day decide what you think about yourself." That lesson stayed with me. Cricket has given me plenty of difficult moments-bad performances, failures, and days when things simply didn't go my way. But I learned to treat every setback as just one part of the journey, not as a definition of my ability. Even today, whenever I face a tough phase, I remind myself to stay disciplined, keep working, and come back stronger the next day. I think that mindset has helped me as much off the field as it has on it.
Sambhav Sir, just a small thank you for everything you have done for me. You were one of the first people who believed in me and guided me when I was just starting my cricket journey. A lot of what I have achieved today is because of the foundation you gave me. I'll always be grateful for your guidance, support, and belief in me. Thank you, Sir!
Moving to Russia in 2016 was a completely different experience from what I had known in India. In India, cricket is everywhere-you grow up surrounded by the game, good grounds, intense competition, and people who understand every aspect of cricket. In Russia, cricket was still a relatively new and niche sport, so the cricket culture and facilities were very different. and challenging The grounds were one of the biggest differences. We often had to adapt to conditions that were not ideal for cricket, and sometimes even the weather became a challenge. But honestly, that made the experience more valuable. I had to learn to adjust quickly rather than expect perfect conditions.
The biggest challenge was being away from home and playing in an environment where I couldn't rely on the same cricketing support system I had grown up with in India. There was also a language and cultural barrier. But those three seasons taught me something very important: a cricketer's ability is tested not only by how he performs in good conditions, but by how well he adapts when everything around him is unfamiliar. Scoring centuries there was obviously special, but the bigger achievement for me was learning to perform consistently despite the challenges. That experience made me mentally stronger and much more adaptable as a player.
Missing that first national-team tour in 2018 because I lost my passport was honestly one of the most painful moments of my career. It was frustrating because the opportunity had come after years of hard work, and I felt that I had let myself down over something that was completely avoidable. But I also learned an important lesson from it: As an athlete I know everything happens for your good opportunities don't always come twice, so you have to be prepared-not just as a player, but as a professional. When I eventually got the chance to play in the European Cricket League in 2019, it felt like a fresh start.
Playing at that level gave me the confidence that I could compete internationally and that the setbacks hadn't stopped my journey. After that, injuries and then the pandemic made things even more difficult. There were periods when cricket almost came to a standstill, and physically and mentally it wasn't easy. What kept me going was remembering why I started playing in the first place. I stopped focusing on what I had lost and concentrated on what I could control-my fitness, my training, and my preparation. Looking back, those setbacks actually made me more resilient. I learned that a career isn't defined by the opportunities you miss, but by how you respond when the next opportunity comes.
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I think my biggest advantage in business comes from having experienced cricket not just in India, but in a very different environment like Russia. I've been in situations where I had to adapt quickly, deal with setbacks, and still find a way to perform. That experience has shaped the way I make decisions today. When I'm working on a cricket project or with the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League, I try to look at things the way I would look at a cricket match. I don't make a decision just because something looks good on paper.
I first try to understand the conditions, the people involved, the risks, and what the situation actually demands. For example, as a player, if I'm struggling to score, I can't keep playing every ball aggressively just to prove a point. I have to understand the situation, settle myself, and wait for the right opportunity. I use the same thinking in business. Not every opportunity needs to be chased, and not every setback means you should change your entire plan. My experiences with injuries, missing opportunities, playing abroad, and coming back after the pandemic have also made me much more patient.
Today, when I face a difficult business decision, I don't panic easily because I've already learned through cricket that careers are long and one bad phase doesn't define the outcome. So, for me, being a co-founder and sports manager isn't separate from being a cricketer. I'm still using the same mindset-I'm just playing a different kind of game now.
Honestly, I still play because I genuinely enjoy being on the field. Cricket has been such a big part of my life that I don't think I can completely stay away from it. Fitness is definitely important, and I still want to challenge myself and see how much I can get out of my game. But now, when I play with younger players, there's another motivation as well. I enjoy sharing what I've learned through my own experiences-the good ones and especially the mistakes.
I've played in different conditions, dealt with injuries, missed opportunities, and played cricket outside India, so I feel I have a lot of experiences that can help a young player. And at the same time, playing with them keeps me competitive. They bring a lot of energy, and sometimes they remind me why I started playing cricket in the first place. So yes, I still want to score runs and perform, but these days I enjoy the game as much for what I can give back as for what I can achieve personally.
The academy that Danish Khan and I are starting in Farrukhabad is very close to me because Farrukhabad is where my own cricket journey started. I know what it feels like to be a young player from a smaller city who has talent and ambition, but may not always have access to the right guidance or opportunities. Our main focus is not just on producing players who can bat or bowl well. We want to build the basics properly-technique, fitness, discipline, game awareness and, importantly, the mental side of cricket.
I personally believe that talent can take you to a certain level, but habits and discipline are what keep you there. Because I've experienced cricket in different environments, including playing abroad, I also want the boys to understand cricket beyond just local matches. We want them to learn how to prepare, how to handle pressure, how to conduct themselves as professionals, and how to adapt to different conditions. What I hope will make our setup different is the personal connection with the players.
We don't want it to feel like a place where a coach simply gives instructions and the session ends. We want to understand each player's strengths, weaknesses and ambitions and help them develop accordingly. And for me, there is a personal reason behind it too. I started my cricket journey in Farrukhabad, and if we can help even a few young players from the same place get opportunities that I had to work very hard to find, that would be something I'm genuinely proud of.
Having played cricket in Russia and Europe, I've seen both sides of the game. In India, cricket is part of everyday life, but in many new countries it is still something people are discovering. I think the ICC has a very important role to play here. It's not enough to just organise tournaments and give countries membership. The real investment has to happen at the grassroots level-good coaching, proper grounds, equipment, local competitions and, most importantly, a pathway for young players to see cricket as a genuine career. When a child sees someone from his own city or country playing at an international level, the game suddenly becomes real for him. That is how you build a cricket culture. I've seen how much potential exists outside the traditional cricketing countries. If the right infrastructure and opportunities are created, cricket can become much more than a hobby in those places.
"Farrukhabad will play, Farrukhabad will change" is not just a slogan for me. It comes from my own experience. I started my cricket journey there, so I know there are talented kids in smaller towns who have the ability but don't always have the same exposure or facilities as children in bigger cities. I think the next 5 to 10 years can be very different for them. Private academies, franchise leagues and better scouting are already creating more routes into professional sport. But I don't think an academy alone is enough. The important thing is creating a proper ecosystem-good coaching, competitive matches, fitness, exposure, guidance and people who are willing to identify talent early. I would love to see a situation where a child from Farrukhabad doesn't feel that he has to move to Delhi or Mumbai just to get noticed. If the talent is good enough, the opportunity should be able to reach him. That's really what I want to contribute through the academy and our other sports projects.
My goal over the next few years is not just one particular score or one particular tournament. Of course, as a player, I still want to perform at the highest level I can and keep challenging myself. But my ambitions have become bigger than my individual career. I want to build something that continues even when I'm not playing. Through sports management, the academy and projects like the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League, I want to create genuine opportunities for athletes. And personally, I would be very happy if, a few years from now, I can look back and say that I helped create a pathway for players from my region who otherwise might not have had one. As a player, I want to keep competing. As a sports manager, I want to create opportunities. And as someone from Farrukhabad, I want to give something back to the place where my journey began.
I would first tell him not to be embarrassed by where he comes from. I was also a 12-year-old boy from Farrukhabad with a dream, and at that age you don't know how far the journey is going to take you. I would tell him that life will probably give him reasons to stop. There will be financial problems, family responsibilities, injuries, bad performances, people who don't believe in him-and sometimes he may even doubt himself. I faced my own setbacks, and I've learned that you cannot control all of those things.
What you can control is whether you keep working. So I would tell him: take your cricket seriously, but don't lose yourself in the result. Work on your skills every day, stay disciplined, respect your coaches, take care of your fitness and keep your education or another skill alongside cricket. You never know which door will open first. And most importantly, don't think that coming from a small town means you have a small future. Your starting point doesn't decide your destination. I would probably finish by telling him, "Dream as big as you want. Just make sure your daily work is big enough to match that dream."
Thank you Aman for your time! The editors of Sportscafe wish you further victories on your way!
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