Aryaman Vikram Birla comes from the illustrious family of the Birlas and his father, Kumar Mangalam Birla, happens to be one of the major business tycoons of the country.
But that has got very little to do with the 20-year-old. Taking a different route, Aryaman has been able to make a mark in the world of cricket — becoming the highest run-getter in the Colonel CK Nayudu U-23 tournament for Madhya Pradesh.
His consistency earned him a call-up to the Madhya Pradesh Ranji Trophy side and as an icing on the cake, the youngster was picked by Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Though he didn't get a game in the IPL, Aryaman's good show at the C.K. Nayudu Trophy has helped him bag the M.A. Chidambaram Trophy in the BCCI Awards. And that has got the young gun excited. "It feels good. When you are working hard, this motivates you further. This helps you do well," Aryaman tells Sportstar .
The batsman amassed 795 runs in six matches and in the process, scored four centuries with an average of 79.50.
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But Aryaman has already set sights on the next season. "I am working very hard on every aspect of my game. I also have some goals," he says.
He will be attending the U-23 camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru later this month and Aryaman wants to make the most of the opportunity. "There will be some really good coaches at the NCA and I am looking forward learning from them. There will be a lot of games coming up this year and I will be hoping to give my best," the batsman says, making it clear that he understands 'the value that the next season holds' for him.
In his two-month long stint with Rajasthan Royals, has been a learning curve for Aryaman. "You get to learn a lot being around the players and coaches of that stature. I had an open mind going into the IPL and that helped me learn a lot about myself and the game," he says.
But then, warming the bench for so long must have been a tough task. How did he keep himself motivated? "As a professional cricketer, you want to play but playing or not playing is not in your control. So, it is important to stick to your practices and work hard, hoping to give your best," he says.
However, the stint with the Royals has also brought him closer to Shane Warne, the mentor of the team. "Whenever Warne was around, he had an active role to play. He was quite unique and different. He had different perspectives on how to look at a game and those are the things you can keep working on," Aryaman says.
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