Aaron Vikram Malla, who has been watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) since he was very young, is a fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In Nepal, he considers Deependra Singh Airee his idol. Having already met Sandeep Lamichhane and Binod Bhandari, Aaron hopes to meet Deependra as well.
The 6-year-old cricketer is currently playing for Royal Cricket Academy ‘B’ in the ongoing U-14 Academy-level National Cricket Tournament in Nawalpur, where he has scored 4 runs in 3 matches. Aaron has been learning cricket at the Royal Cricket Academy since he was 4 years old and travels 16 kilometers daily to practice for 3 hours.
Aaron’s father, Vikal, initially wanted him to become a footballer, but Aaron chose cricket, and Vikal dreams of making his son a great cricketer. On April 21 in Kathmandu, a video of Aaron’s batting has been widely discussed on social media, earning praise for his impressive performance in the U-14 Academy-level national tournament held in Nawalpur.
The tournament features players from 20 academies across the country, and Aaron represents Royal Cricket Academy ‘B.’ While he didn’t score many runs in his three matches, he has shown the ability to hold his crease for prolonged periods. Against One Day Cricket Academy, he faced 17 balls and scored 2 runs. He also played 17 balls against Nepathya Tilottama Cricket Academy, scoring only 1 run before returning to the pavilion. In the third match against Cricket Excellence Center (CEC) in Bhaktapur, he scored 1 run off 28 balls but retired hurt due to a ball hitting his hand.
“He can’t score many runs yet and lacks power, but he plays confidently and is not afraid of pace bowling,” says Vikal Vikram, Aaron’s father. While other players struggled to stay at the crease, Aaron showed a defensive technique, effectively facing balls even from much older bowlers. According to Vikal, Aaron has already played 20-25 matches. Last January, he participated in the U-12 Boys Open Cricket Tournament organized by Rising Star Cricket Academy in Kathmandu. However, due to pitch and ground conditions, he could only play one match, where he scored an unbeaten 0 after facing two balls.
Initially, Vikal wanted Aaron to be a footballer and even brought him a football to encourage that. However, Aaron was drawn to cricket from an early age. “I asked him what he wanted to play, and when he said cricket, he began focusing on it,” recalls Vikal. Two years ago, they tried to enroll Aaron at the Royal Cricket Academy in Nawalpur, Devchuli Municipality-10, but his age was too young. After observing his potential, the academy later accepted him, and he has been learning cricket there for the past 4 years.
Since childhood, Aaron has been an avid IPL viewer and a big fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Deependra Singh Airee is his cricketing idol in Nepal. Having already met cricketers like Sandeep Lamichhane and Binod Bhandari, Aaron hopes to meet Deependra soon. According to his father, Aaron’s batting and fielding style resemble Deependra’s. Vikal takes Aaron to the academy located 16 kilometers away every day, where Aaron trains for about three hours. Despite his young age, Aaron’s passion for cricket is immense. “He practices from morning till evening on holidays,” says Vikal, who dreams of seeing his son become a great cricketer.
