As other 4-year-old kids are busy playing with their toys, here is a wonder kid from Delhi who is making headlines as a cricketer. Believe it or not at the tender age of 4, Shayan Jamal has been selected in his school’s U-12 team.
From the age of three, Jamal would be engrossed in the television set whenever a cricket match was on. That keen interest drove him to pick up a bat and less than a year later, he seems to be destined for greatness.
“I want to play for India one day, like Virat Kohli. I admire him because he is a good batsman and scores centuries,” says Shayan, KG student at Hamdard Public School in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar.
The most striking aspect about the kid prodigy is the fact that he has a sound defensive technique to go with the way he plays the cover drive. At an age when even holding a cricket bat is difficult, Jamal has excelled far beyond anyone’s expectations, including his father’s.
Shayan’s father, Arshad Jamal is a former club level cricketer who owns a modest business in Delhi, but his main focus is to train and guide his son who might well be a star in the coming decades.
“Shayan’s cricketing sense is strong and he is hungry to play cricket. If I give him a break for a day or two, he begins to pester me, asking me ‘why aren’t we going to the nets!’ His game is natural. I am just trying to mould him,” says Arshad.
“My family and friends think I am wasting my time on Shayan. But I feel God has sent him with exceptional talent. I can’t do injustice to him. I am confident God will show the way,” says the proud father.
It will be interesting to see if Shayan continues to have the same urge for cricket when he grows up but as far as now, he has a sound technique and knows how to leave a ball outside the off stump and play the late cut.
“I enjoy playing cricket. I want to play more. I also like fielding,” the kid says.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
