Apratim Tiwari

In 2014, in Lucknow, Apratim’s journey with cricket began rather quietly. He trained at a local academy after school hours, where the game was instinctive rather than aspirational.

Between 2015 and 2016, the rhythm broke. He wasn’t able to play for nearly two years. But when he returned, he didn’t show up as the same player. He reinvented himself as a left-arm spinner, experimenting with control, drift, and deception. The ball moving through the air became his signature.

For the first time, cricket began to feel personal.

By 2017, cricket turned serious. Following Under-14 trials, he entered the State Cricket Association pathway, cleared trials, and began playing district cricket.

Coaches spoke about his drift. Teammates trusted him. That validation pushed him to commit deeper.

Yet he believed in balance and didn’t abandon education. Supported by family and scholarships, often under the condition of scoring 90% in school, he was praised in classrooms as much as on the field. That dual validation shaped his confidence early.

That same year, he was unable to make the state team. He absorbed the setback calmly and moved on to Under-16s. The first year was tough. He was dropped.

His own reflection was honest: the ball wasn’t coming out of his hand right. Doubt crept in, but he stayed.

The second Under-16 year is where things turned. He changed academies, joining one run by a chief selector. He cleared trials again, entered the district side, made it through net camps, played camp matches, and progressed into the final 60 players.

Then rain washed out a key camp match. Possibly the moment where state scouts could have noticed him.

After Under-16s, his consistency dipped. A coach from Delhi advised a bold step: leave Uttar Pradesh and move to Hyderabad.

In 2019, after completing his 10th grade, the shift happened with full parental support. He joined a dummy school in commerce stream and moved to Hyderabad for 11th grade.

The transition was harsh. His coach didn’t meet him initially and instead asked him to play a match the day after his flight. At 17, living away from home meant dealing with performance pressure, financial awareness, and isolation.

Training intensified. His view of sport changed completely. The workload required shocked him.

Isolation and monotony set in. Still, results came. He became the highest wicket-taker, backed strongly by his hometown.

The equation became clear: more effort, more results. But the focus subtly shifted from enjoying the game to positioning himself for better teams and leagues. Pressure mounted. Performances dipped slightly in district games due to expectation, though he remained effective.

He made it to the Hyderabad camp, cleared the fitness test, and was close to final team distribution.

Then COVID hit.

After Under-16s, his consistency dipped. A coach from Delhi advised a bold step: leave Uttar Pradesh and move to Hyderabad.

In 2019, after completing his 10th grade, the shift happened with full parental support. He joined a dummy school in commerce stream and moved to Hyderabad for 11th grade.

The transition was harsh. His coach didn’t meet him initially and instead asked him to play a match the day after his flight. At 17, living away from home meant dealing with performance pressure, financial awareness, and isolation.

Training intensified. His view of sport changed completely. The workload required shocked him.

Camps stopped. Teams dissolved. Apratim returned to Lucknow. Post-COVID, he went back to Hyderabad believing pathways would reopen.

Instead, unresolved mental trauma from his first stint resurfaced. Preparation gaps became visible. His self-assessment was blunt: 70% mental, 30% physical. Out of eight games, he performed well in only one.

Still, he held on. He stayed one more year till Under-19, delaying his education. 2021 went into 12th board exams. 2022 became a deliberate gap year.

Returning to Hyderabad in 2022 after a coaching stint in Dehradun where video analysis and tech-based feedback rebuilt his confidence, Apratim had his best season yet.

He performed consistently well in leagues and matches, was called for One-Day district camps, and delivered. Unofficially, he found out his name was in the team.

Then came the shock.

On 3rd October, three players were removed when the official squad was released. Just before the team was scheduled to leave on 4th October, Apratim’s father received a call demanding a certain sum of money in exchange for him being picked. Because Apratim was an outsider, the association attempted extortion. He later learned another player had been asked for ₹25 lakhs, along with a bidding system for captaincy.

Despite extraordinary performances, there was no vacancy for merit.

The following months were not easy. He played leagues, reached semifinals, lost narrowly, and continued performing well. Opportunities came, then stalled again. He was repeatedly kept on hold.

Eventually, through sources, he learned that another player had paid a large undisclosed amount to secure selection.

That moment ended something.

Apratim decided to step away from professional cricket and shifted his focus to education.

After a five-to-six-month break preparing seriously for examinations, the result was extraordinary. He secured All India Rank 1 in the commerce education system and earned admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.

Media recognition followed.

For many, it was a dream-come-true moment. But for Apratim, happiness came with numbness. Leaving cricket left a void within him.

While SRCC welcomed him academically, he struggled socially. Friendships didn’t come easily, and isolation returned.

He missed cricket and eventually began playing corporate cricket, where he realised something quietly comforting: the spark was still there.

Today, Apratim feels the same intensity he once felt at his peak. The dream hasn’t vanished. It has matured. He’s excited about entering the corporate world, plans to pursue a master’s degree, and may still play Under-23 cricket for Lucknow 🙂