Aryaman Birla, the son of Kumar Mangalam Birla, talks just like the way he plays, with a lot of sincerity. The 20-year old is creating quite too many ripples in the domestic circuit with his stellar performances. After being picked up for the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2018, the 20-year-old walked away with the BCCI Award for being the leading run-scorer for Madhya Pradesh, his Ranji team. Scoring four centuries in CK Nayaudu Trophy, Aryaman smashed 795 runs from six matches with an average of 79.50. Now that’s quite a record!

“Getting the BCCI honour for any cricketer is like a dream come true. It was a good way to cap the last season,” said Aryaman to LatestLY. However, we all know records are not made overnight. What goes behind them is the hours and hours of practice you put in. It was in 2013 when I watched the youngster play in the nets of the Parsi Gymkhana. The best part about him was the way he blended with the team, having no airs about himself. Aryaman, back then, focused only on his game. Watching him now, five years later, makes me realise that Aryaman has emerged as a better version of himself. Talking about the change in him Aryaman says, “It’s not something that happens all of a sudden. It takes hard work and collective effort from everyone. It’s just a part of the journey and there is much more to come. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”

According to Aryaman, his stint with Rajasthan Royals helped him immensely. When asked how the two-month long tournament made him a better cricketer, he explained, “During the IPL you don’t realise much, but once you are out, you get to know the amount of confidence it gives you by just interacting and sharing the dressing room with some of the great cricketers. This is something that I have taken from the IPL 2018.”  The left-hander has some fond memories with the team. “The best part about the team is that it’s like a family so everyone’s taken care of very well. Regardless of a player being a junior or a senior, everyone is treated equally.”

Aryaman now is leaving no stone unturned to carry his form in the upcoming season and is currently attending a month-long U-23 camp at the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru. When quizzed about his expectations from the next season, the youngster once again emphasises more on making his journey beautiful than thinking about his achievements. “I am not putting too much pressure on myself in terms of what I have to achieve. Obviously, I have my goals like everyone else, but it’s all about how you go through the process and the grind. That’s what I did last year. So as long as I am enjoying what I am doing, the results will take care of itself,” signed off Aryaman.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2018 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).