Growing up in the luxurious surroundings of Downtown Dubai, 19-year-old Dhruv Parashar could have easily opted for a cab to reach Mumbai’s cricket grounds when he arrived in India for age-group domestic tournaments. However, this talented batting all-rounder chose a different path, boarding local trains daily with his cricket kit, navigating through the notoriously crowded compartments during peak hours.
“I went to Mumbai because I wanted to learn and play a high level of cricket,” Dhruv shared with the Khaleej Times. “After going there, I could have found some other mode of transport. But I decided to do that (take local trains) because I thought that would help me in my cricket journey.”
This experience proved instrumental in helping Dhruv develop the resilience required for the demands of the sport. His dedication bore fruit when he displayed exceptional temperament, delivering match-winning performances with his off-spin against West Indies and Ireland, both Test-playing teams. These contributions played a crucial role in the UAE’s victory in the Plate Division at the 2022 ICC Under 19 World Cup.
“I am a part-time spinner, but when we played against the West Indies, five of our players were down with Covid. So we had no choice. Our main bowlers had Covid, and someone had to step up and take wickets,” explained Dhruv, who took four wickets in the semifinal and secured the man-of-the-match award in the final against Ireland.
Dhruv continued to shine in the Under 19 Asia Cup, playing a pivotal role in the historic 11-run win over Pakistan with a miserly spell. Now on the brink of joining the senior team, Dhruv looks forward to the two-match unofficial one-day series against Afghanistan in Sharjah.
“All the Under-19 performances go towards getting to play for the men’s team because that’s the highest level,” he emphasized. “So when it does happen you feel very satisfied, it feels like all the hard work and stuff that your parents have done for you and sacrifices that they have made and all the performances and hard work that I have done, have paid off. So it feels very good and proud.”
As a huge Chris Gayle fan, Dhruv is excited about the future, highlighting the talent pool in the UAE. “We have beaten five Test-playing teams at under 19 level since last year. That’s quite incredible for an associate team!” he exclaimed. Dhruv also hopes to be selected for the UAE’s official T20 series against Afghanistan following the two one-day games.
