{"id":34445,"date":"2023-12-06T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T01:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&#038;p=34445"},"modified":"2025-01-31T15:28:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T09:58:59","slug":"darsh-abhinay-the-hyderabad-lad-breaking-records-in-english-county-cricket","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/darsh-abhinay-the-hyderabad-lad-breaking-records-in-english-county-cricket\/","title":{"rendered":"Darsh Abhinay: The Hyderabad lad breaking records in English county cricket"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When he was in grade four, Darsh Abhinay did\u00a0something extraordinary. He opened the batting for his team against a well trained and experienced team\u00a0in a U-18 Inter-school cricket tournament. Nine years old at the time, he hit 56 (not out) of\u00a052 balls, stunning all those who watched him in action.\u00a0His coach was so delighted with his performance that he\u00a0lifted Darsh onto his shoulders and carried him out from the pitch as a mark of celebration. The kid went on to win the emerging player of the tournament award and his\u00a0cricketing journey was off to a flying start. \u201cWatching India lift the 2011 World Cup as a 6-year-old kid was the moment I decided I wanted to be there one day,\u201d smiles cricketer Darsh Abhinay, speaking to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/\">Global Indian<\/a><\/em>. Now, he plays English county cricket where he continues to pull off record-breaking feats.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A triumphant season<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The 17-year-old, who has been practising professional cricket for last 12 years,\u00a0stunned fellow cricketers and the audience alike when he\u00a0went on to get 25 wickets, hit 302 runs (including three fifties with a highest score of 95) and took 11 catches in a successful season for Headstone Manor Cricket Club in the Middlesex County League in London last year.\u00a0Darsh, a leg spinner\u00a0and a right hand middle order batsmen\u00a0was inducted into the Middlesex County Cricket League Hall of Fame, was pronounced as the \u2018Player of the Week\u2019\u00a0and awarded the \u201cBest Bowling Performance of the Season\u201d for his record breaking feat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the ball was placed in my hand, my\u00a0heart was pounding with anticipation. The\u00a0Headstone Manor Cricket Club was about to experience something they hadn&#8217;t witnessed in their 44-year-long history,\u201d says Darsh, of that clear sunny afternoon in London when he arrived on the pitch and eventually took 10 wickets.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34446\" style=\"width: 424px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34446\" class=\"wp-image-34446 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/darsh-card-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"414\" height=\"552\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 414px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 414\/552;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34446\" class=\"wp-image-34446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/darsh-card-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"414\" height=\"552\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-34446\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Darsh Abhinay<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The budding cricketer broke\u00a0the unique record of being the only fourth player next to Jim Laker, Anil Kumble and Ajaz Patel for taking 10 wickets in an innings in a test match.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How it began<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It was a call from Darsh\u2019s aunt in the UK informing him about a position opened for an overseas player that led him to London. \u201cI found myself on the pitch merely\u00a048 hours after I landed in London, the weight of exhaustion and jet lag tugging at my limbs. But there was an electrifying feeling coursing through my veins as I wanted to write history in my first match,\u201d he declares.<\/p>\n<p>What was as yet unknown to a 17-year-old boy from the south of India, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.middlesexccl.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Middlesex County Cricket League<\/a> presented its own unique challenges. With each delivery, he adapted to the conditions and started to weave his spell by learning on the spot and struck fear into his seasoned opponents.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Early training grounds<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Born in Hyderabad in February 2005, Darsh\u2019s father worked as the CAO at St Mary\u2019s College and his mother is a HR Director at Invesco. Darsh Abhinay started playing cricket when he was in third grade. \u201cI used to come to school 45 minutes late as I had practice in the mornings. Due to this all my teachers and peers knew I was a cricketer.\u201d Sancta Maria International School, where he was a student, was always supportive of Darsh\u2019s cricketing journey, even giving him the freedom to miss his classes if required. Darsh did his part too, ensuring his grades never dropped. He graduated in the top five percent of his class. He even founded a sports club and won a few business competitions. From there, Darsh went on to St Mary\u2019s College and has won several awards along the way \u2013 he was felicitated by RBL Bank in Hyderabad as part of their young leader and sportsperson campaign.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34448 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_3786-1-1024x823.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"506\" height=\"407\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 506px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 506\/407;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34448\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_3786-1-1024x823.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"506\" height=\"407\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Darsh\u2019s passion comes from his father, an avid cricketer himself. \u201cHe introduced me to cricket at the age of three. As an infant, I used to watch him play matches and would cheer him on,\u201d says the young cricketer, who began training at the cricket academy at the age of 5. \u201cMy dad played a huge role in my cricketing journey and made lots of sacrifices. He even left his job for six years, trained and helped me learn the nuances of the game. He would even drive me to my practice sessions.\u201d He also idolised Sachin Tendulkar and bowler Shane Warne, whom he describes as one of the best leg spinners everyday, saying, \u201cI would watch videos of his bowling everyday.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Overcoming obstacles<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Darsh\u2019s journey hasn\u2019t always cheerful. \u201cI faced obstacles that tested my resilience. I encountered injuries, unfair selection practices that kept me out of the state team, and the biggest hurdle of them all, COVID-19,\u201d says Darsh.<\/p>\n<p>When the lockdown was lifted, however, Darsh was nursing a finger injury that kept him out of action for an agonizing four months after the lockdown. \u201cI considered quitting the sport, but with my coach&#8217;s guidance, I rekindled my passion. Two months later, I stood in London, breaking records and achieving a dream I never thought was possible,\u201d says a beaming Darsh, who has won\u00a0over 40 awards for man of the series, emerging player, best fielder, best bowler and man of the match.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34449 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_3790-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"489\" height=\"652\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 489px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 489\/652;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_3790-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Darsh Abhinay | Global Indian Cricketer\" width=\"489\" height=\"652\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Darsh\u2019s day usually starts at the crack of dawn. He is up by 5.45 am and heads straight for his cricket practice for an hour. It\u2019s college next and once he is back home by 4, he goes to his gym after which it\u2019s practice time again. \u201cMy mother has been telling me to include yoga in my schedule and I plan to do it soon,\u201d says Darsh, who is looking to play more county cricket in the UK even as he is playing a few tournaments in Hyderabad presently. \u201cMy dream is to play for the country,\u201d says the cricketer, who used to play volleyball, badminton and table tennis in school.<\/p>\n<p>Darsh also has\u00a0a great interest in entrepreneurship and wants to start a business of his own in future.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When he was in grade four, Darsh Abhinay did\u00a0something extraordinary. He opened the batting for his team against a well trained and experienced team\u00a0in a U-18 Inter-school cricket tournament. Nine years old at the time, he hit 56 (not out) of\u00a052 balls, stunning all those who watched him in action.\u00a0His coach was so delighted with his performance that he\u00a0lifted Darsh onto his shoulders and carried him out from the pitch as a mark of celebration. The kid went on to win the emerging player of the tournament award and his\u00a0cricketing journey was off to a flying start. \u201cWatching India lift [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":34451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","story-category":[215,3131],"story-tag":[7810,7809,7808,7817,7799,22,1649,7797,7800,7802,34,7813,7807,7804,932,7803,7811,7815,7806,7805,1067,7814,7816,7812,7798,7801],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Darsh Abhinay | Teen breaks records in English county cricket<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore Darsh Abhinay inspiring journey in county cricket, from early struggles to record-breaking triumphs in the sport.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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