I was just 8 years old when I picked up a bat for the first time. Tennis cricket was my introduction to the world of cricket, and it became my passion almost instantly. I dreamt of becoming the next Sachin Tendulkar—the world would know me for my sixes, my fours, and my unique style of batting. I believed cricket would be my ticket to fame, fortune, and a fulfilling life.
But as I grew older and began to understand the reality of sports, I realized that the cricket I had dreamt of was worlds apart from what it actually took to succeed. Professional cricket wasn’t about tennis balls and makeshift bats. It was about leather balls, pads, gloves, and cricket spikes—equipment that was far beyond my reach. My dream started to feel like an illusion, something unattainable. Slowly, that hope faded away, and the passion I once had for the game turned into a distant memory.
Fast forward 25 years into my professional career in sports, and I’ve come to understand one thing: if no one is changing the narrative for kids like me from small towns, then maybe I should take the initiative.
That’s when I met a visionary named Shazi Ahmad, a dynamic young woman from Jabalpur, a small city in Madhya Pradesh. Shazi made her mark not only in the world of music but also in the sports business. When I shared my forgotten childhood dream with her, she didn’t just listen—she envisioned a way to make it come true.
Shazi took that dream of a small-town boy and gave it wings. She conceptualized and launched the T10 Super Tennis Cricket League (T10-STCL)—a revolutionary initiative to transform informal tennis cricket into a formal platform for raw talent. The league will travel to the smallest towns across India, scouting young players and giving them a chance to shine on the global cricketing stage.
Watching this vision come to life has been nothing short of magical. The 8-year-old boy within me feels seen, heard, and thankful every single day. Shazi has shown that dreams—no matter how small or forgotten—can still find a way to thrive if someone dares to believe in them.
The T10-STCL isn’t just a league or a business for Shazi; it’s a heartfelt mission. It’s about making someone’s dream a reality through someone else’s journey.
For me, this league is proof that no dream is ever too small, and no boy or girl from a small town is ever too insignificant.
Penned by:
An 8-year-old boy from Rourkela, Odisha, who may not be a cricketer anymore but is finally seeing his dream live through others.
