Channeling his inner Yuvraj, 17-year-old thrills on opening day of Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav

The Wonder Cement #Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav is just one weekend into its fixtures, but we’ve already seen some great performances. With two great centuries seen on the opening weekend itself, it is clear that the teams are taking their matches very seriously.

We spoke to Abhishek Soni, whose team Seven Stars, were part of the matches being played in Kushalgarh, part of district Banswara. Abhishek was the 1st century-maker of the #Saath7 Cricket Tournament, scoring 104 in 30 balls as he helped his team reach a total of 137.

Abhishek’s innings was full of moments of excitement, as he hit 12 sixes and 4 fours en route to his unbeaten century.

When asked about what his preferred role on the Cricket field is, Abhishek said that he was someone who could a bit of everything, but that his batting and his fielding were his strengths.

He also said that he modeled his game on AB De Villiers, who is his favourite batsman in international cricket, saying that he appreciated the South African’s ability to play any kind of shot and play at the pace he likes.

Speaking specifically about his unbeaten knock of 104, 17-year-old Abhishek said that what motivated him to go on the offensive was the fact that his team’s opponents had openly said that they would restrict the Seven Star team to a total of under 90. This was something the youngster didn’t really appreciate and so decided to take the game to the opposition.

The southpaw also said that left-handed batsmen who he likes themost are Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh, the latter specifically for his ability to deliver the goods in pressure situations and the fact that Yuvraj is also a great fielder, something Abhishek has also looked to incorporate in his game.

Though the Seven Stars team lost their match the next day and as a result were eliminated from the tournament, Abhishek said the experience was great and has motivated him to continue playing Cricket. He also promised us that he will be attend Cricket coaching daily in the mornings despite having to prepare for his Class 12 Board Exams, which are just a few months away.

He was also very appreciative of the platform provided by Wonder Cement, saying that the tournament had been organised very well and that it was a great initiative that will help keep children interested in taking up sports going forward.

When asked about people of all ages taking part, and of the special rules in the tournament, Abhishek opined that age really doesn’t matter and said that some of the older players were very good on the field in terms of their cricketing capabilities. He also thought this would help encourage people to provide more support to their children interested in taking up sports professionally.

The organisers of the Wonder Cement #Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav had something similar in their minds when they thought about organising such a tournament and to see it start off very well is definitely something that will motivate them to keep it going with the same level of dedication and focus.