Former Rajasthan Royals batsman Aryaman Birla announces break from cricket due to battles with anxiety 

With an increasing awareness of mental health around the world, several famous personalities have been opening up with their battle against anxiety and depression, among other issues. Be it Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone or Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell, not many are shying away from talking about mental health.

The latest to join the list is Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s 22-year-old batsman Aryaman Birla, who shot to fame after being signed up by Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The young batsman has decided to take a break of undecided duration from cricket of due to his ongoing struggles with anxiety. Birla disclosed the same on his official Twitter handle, while also vowing to come back stronger. He wrote:

It's been a journey of hard work, perseverance, dedication and immense courage to get to this point in my cricket career. However, I've been coping with severe anxiety related to the sport for a while now.

pic.twitter.com/7sU1wkJrsE

— Aryaman Birla (@AryamanBirla) December 20, 2019

Rajasthan Royals had bought him before the 2018 IPL season but he did not get a chance to be part of their playing XI over the last two seasons and was subsequently released by the franchise before the 2020 auction which took place in Kolkata on Thursday.

Most recently, Maxwell had excused himself from the Australian squad during T20I series against Sri Lanka in October and the sport in general, citing issues pertaining to his mental health. However, he has since returned to professional cricket, making a comeback for the Melbourne Stars in the ongoing Big Bash League.