A heartwarming story has emerged around Aryan Sharma, a 17-year-old cricketer who recently made his debut for Australia’s U19 side in the ongoing series against India U19, turning a childhood dream into reality.
His desire to play for Australia in 2025 goes all the way back to the 2018 Boxing Day Test, part of the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Aryan looked up to former Indian captain Virat Kohli as his idol. At just 11 years old, he attended the match at the MCG holding a poster that read:
“Virat, you are my inspiration. Watch me play for Australia in 2025.”
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From a Poster for Virat to an Australia U19 Debut
Reflecting on that moment, Aryan shared on Cricket Australia’s official social media handle:
“I don’t know why I chose that year, but it was my dream. Now in 2025, through God's grace, the support of family and my coaches, and years of hard work, I’ve been selected for the Australian Under-19 team.”
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Aryan was handed his debut in the first ODI against India U19 in Brisbane. However, the match didn’t go as planned he failed to cross the 10-run mark and went wicketless, conceding 36 runs in his spell. India eventually sealed the win with a 6-wicket victory, thanks to an unbeaten 152-run stand between Abhigyan Kundu and Vedant Trivedi.
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Aryan's tough debut
Despite a tough debut, Aryan, whose story went viral online, is expected to get another opportunity in the next game. With the U19 World Cup on the horizon, Australia are known to back their young players. Aryan will be motivated to bounce back stronger and push for a spot in the squad for the big tournament..
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