NAAVYGATING CRICKET

From then, it was clear that Sharma had the potential to excel, and it was certainly reassuring to see that he would be on Hampton’s side for years to come.

For Sharma, cricket was always his sport. Typically, he began by "trying a few sports, but cricket seemed to be the one [he] enjoyed most." His passion for the game was supported by both his parents, especially his dad: "He would always be taking me to training, coaching me and sometimes batting with me." This ever-present support has persisted, with his parents driving across the country for his cricket.

Hampton boasts countless young talent in sports from tennis to cycling and cricket, and Lower Sixth pupil, Naavya Sharma, is no exception. His cricketing ability has accelerated him into the School’s First XI, as well as success with Sunbury and Middlesex Cricket Clubs.

As the cricket season came into view, I was fortunate to sit down with Sharma and ask him about his career: in the past, present and the future. Summer 2016 was the first time I experienced Sharma’s ability first-hand in an U10 cricket match, playing for Hampton Prep School with Sharma in the Staines Prep team. From memory, his bowling ability was head and shoulders above everyone else, with the wicket-keeper forced to stand further back to manage his sheer speed.

Unsurprisingly, we were heavily defeated in that game, with Sharma’s all-round talent, with the bat and the ball, blowing us out of the water, despite his young age.

One of the most significant cricketing moments in Sharma’s career was his call up to the 2021 Bunbury Festival. Bunbury is an annual cricket competition that brings together the best U15 cricketers nationwide for a T20 tournament. Having undergone a brutal trial stage, Sharma was called up to the South and West squad, ending up sixth on the bowling figures table, manifesting his ability to impress with the ball. His team ended victorious, conquering the Midlands team by seven wickets, with Sharma taking impressive figures of 2-27 in the process.

Famous international cricketers, such as Joe Root, Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan, all participated in the competition, highlighting the skill level that Sharma has reached, and opening the door to future success. On his prospects, Sharma is keeping his ambitions realistic, saying that as much as he’d "hope to go as far as cricket will take [him]," he has so far, only achieved a "small fraction of [his] ambitions" and he "still needs to work a lot to get to [his] ambitions."