Ayush Mhatre might be the captain of the Indian Under-19 team, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the spotlight hero of the team; however, Aaron George is the unsung hero of India’s Under-19 campaigns.
George has been the undeniable spine of India’s batting order and the unsung leader on the field.
Like many big names in the world of sports, like Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, Brazilian Ronaldinho, and MLB superstar Anthony Rendon, Indian youngster Aaron George also doesn’t love watching the sport he plays on TV. Rather, they would simply be spending time with their family or doing their favourite pastime.
In most cases, this strategy has been proven right, as athletes have shown sheer competitiveness and love for the sport; hence, time away from the sport is much required for other crucial things in life.
Who is Aaron George?
For Indian youngster Aaron George, cricket has been his life since he was just 6 years old. Born in Kottayam in Kerala, he soon moved to Hyderabad with his family and started training at a cricket academy by the age of 8. His spark was identified and nourished by his father, Easo Varghese.
Talking of the immense support from his family members, he said, “When I was young, Didi used to bring her books to the academy and study while I was practising because mom and dad could not come all the time.”
A few years from then, he met Biju Nair, the former Services coach who played a major role in shaping his technique. “I am not someone who has a lot of long sessions,” George says. “I keep it short and crisp as much as I can and bat for 1.5-2 hours on average. Managing fitness has become very important now, so for me, usually, it’s skill in the morning and fitness in the evening.”
The player is largely known for his low bat lift, smooth shots with a straight bat, and ability to keep everything under the head, which has turned out to be effective and elegant.
Aaron George stands out among prodigies for India in the Under-19 tournament
At the age of 16, he was picked as the captain for Hyderabad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy, where his sensational 303* against Bihar got him the spotlight for the first time. He then went on to feature twice in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Hyderabad and scored several runs with his bat.
He was also one of the most promising Under-19 cricketers for India and managed to score 228 runs in the four matches he played in the Asia Cup with three half-centuries. The Indian team, anyway, had several prodigies in the form of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and skipper Ayush Mhatre.
Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu also played vital innings at times for the Indian Under-19 team. Several among these players had already earned their IPL contracts before a breakthrough with the Under-19 World Cup squad. Mhatre will be playing for CSK, and Sooryavanshi will be starring for the Rajasthan Royals.
His finest Asia Cup performances came in a supporting role, as he did the majority of the scoring in the matches against Pakistan when India needed runs off his bat after the two openers were dismissed early. “I had to make sure that I stood through,” Aaron George says, with his 85 off 88 helping India register 240 on a difficult wicket.
“Whether there is limelight or not, we have to do our work,” Aaron George drops an honest opinion alongside an opinion on the India-Pakistan game
When India lost to Pakistan in the Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup finals, even George failed to stand his ground. He then commented, “Obviously, India-Pakistan is a big game. If it is India-Pakistan, then it is India-Pakistan. You have to accept that. But for me, personally, I just focus on my process, as at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if the guy bowling to me is from Pakistan or from another country. It’s ball vs bat.”
However, Aaron George admitted to making vile mistakes, and they did not play up to their potential. He also said that sometimes it’s good to lose, as they could bounce back. “Obviously, we’d face off soon (at the Under-19 World Cup), and we’d obviously learn and reflect on what happened,” he adds.
Reflecting on the fact that he has never been centered with the immense spotlight, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre emerging as well-known names on the side. “Whether there is limelight or not, we have to do our work,” he asserts. “That’s the bottom line. It’s not like we have to compete with them. Together, we are competing against other teams,” said young George.
We want to win the cup for India; everything else is secondary,” he asserted.
“For me, personally, it is about adaptation.” – Aaron George
Being a young cricketer is not an easy task nowadays. Several players are up for grabs for those 11 spots within the team, as they compete against hundreds in the IPL, thousands in domestic cricket and then among their teammates selected for a series.
“For me, personally, it is about adaptation,” George says. “Since I started playing professionally for our state or for India, it is about adapting to whatever questions are asked,” said Aaron George on what it takes to make way through every stage of the game.
For him, the strategy seems simple: if the circumstances demand promising red ball performances, he does, and if they demand to play well with the white ball, he will deliver accordingly.
He is currently spending quality time with his family and will advance to South Africa for a series, followed by the World Cup campaign in Zimbabwe in the January-February window.