Ayush Mhatre may be the captain of the Indian Under-19 team, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the spotlight hero of the team; However, Aaron George is the unsung hero of India’s Under-19 campaigns. George has been the undisputed backbone of India’s batting line-up and an unsung leader on the field.
Like many big names in the world of sports like Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, Brazilian Ronaldinho and MLB superstar Anthony Rendon, Indian youngster Aaron George also does not like to watch the game he plays on TV. Rather, they may simply be spending time with their family or doing their favorite pastime.
In most cases, this strategy has proven correct, as the athletes have shown competitiveness and love for the game; Therefore, there is a great need for time away from sports for other important things in life.
Who is Aaron George?
For Indian youngster Aaron George, cricket has been his life since he was just 6 years old. Born in Kottayam, Kerala, he soon moved to Hyderabad with his family and started training at a cricket academy at the age of 8. His spark was recognized and nurtured by his father Iso Varghese.
Talking about the immense support from his family members, he said, “When I was young, sister would bring her books to the academy and study when I practiced because mom and dad couldn’t come all the time.”
A few years since then, he met former Services coach Biju Nair, who played a major role in shaping his technique. “I’m not someone who has very long sessions,” says George. “I keep it as short and crisp as possible and bat for 1.5-2 hours on average. Managing fitness has become very important now, so for me, usually, it’s skills in the morning and fitness in the evening.”
The player is largely known for his low bat lift, smooth shots with a straight bat and his ability to keep everything in his mind, which has proven to be effective and elegant.
Aaron George is one of the talented players for India in the Under-19 tournament
At the age of 16, he was selected as the captain for Hyderabad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy, where his sensational innings of 303* against Bihar brought him into the limelight for the first time. After this he played twice for Hyderabad in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and scored many runs with his bat.
He was one of the most promising under-19 cricketers for India and managed to score 228 runs with three half-centuries in four matches played in the Asia Cup. Anyway, there were many talented players in the Indian team in the form of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and captain Ayush Mhatre.
Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu also played important innings several times for the Indian Under-19 team. Many of these players had already secured their IPL contracts before making it to the Under-19 World Cup squad. Mhatre will play for CSK and Suryavanshi will star for Rajasthan Royals.
His best performances in the Asia Cup were in a supporting role, as he did most of the scoring in the matches against Pakistan when India needed runs from his bat after the early dismissals of two openers. “I had to make sure I could hold on,” says Aaron George, whose 85-ball 85 helped India post 240 on a difficult wicket.
Aaron George gives an honest opinion as well as opinion on the India-Pakistan game, saying, “Whether there are headlines or not, we have to do our job.”
Even when India lost to Pakistan in the men’s Under-19 Asia Cup final, George failed to maintain his composure. He then commented, “Obviously, India-Pakistan is a big game. If it is India-Pakistan, Then this is India-PakistanYou have to accept it, But for me, personally, I just focus on my process, because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether the person bowling to me is from Pakistan or any other country, It’s ball versus bat,”
However, Aaron George admitted to making serious mistakes and not playing up to his potential. He also said that sometimes it is good to lose, because they can bounce back. He further added, “Obviously, we will be facing each other soon (in the Under-19 World Cup), and we will obviously learn and reflect on what happened.”
Considering the fact that he has never been much in the limelight, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre are emerging as well-known names. “Whether there are headlines or not, we have to do our job,” he insists. “That’s the bottom line,” Young George said. “It’s not like we have to compete with them. Together, we’re competing against other teams.”
We want to win the cup for India; Everything else is secondary,” he insisted.
“For me, personally, it’s about adaptation.” – Aaron George
Becoming a young cricketer these days is not an easy task. There are many players contending for those 11 spots within the team, as they compete among hundreds in the IPL, thousands in domestic cricket and then among their peers selected for a series.
“For me, personally, it’s all about customization,” says George. “Ever since I started playing professionally for my state or India, it has been about accepting whatever questions are asked,” said Aaron George on what it takes to make his way through every stage of the game.
For him, the strategy seems simple: if conditions demand a promising performance from the red ball, he does so, and if they demand good play from the white ball, he will perform accordingly.
He is currently spending quality time with his family and will be heading to South Africa for a series, which will be followed by the World Cup campaign in Zimbabwe in January-February.
Also read: PCB’s reputation tarnished as former coach reveals unacceptable insults by the board leading to his resignation