Australia and CSK: Avanish speaks about Dhoni and 'Yellow Love

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Australia and CSK: Avanish speaks about Dhoni and 'Yellow Love

Sunday, 11 February 2024 | PTI | Benoni

He dons the India blue but yellow seems to be the flavour of the season for India U-19 wicketkeeper Aravelly Avanish.

And why won't he be? On Sunday, Avanish will be playing the biggest match of his short career, the U-19 World Cup final against the Australians, clad in most iconic yellow jersey in cricket universe.

Then it will be time when he himself gets to wear the second most popular yellow jersey and meet the man who inspired him to don the big gloves.

It will be his IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings and the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni that the Hyderabadi boy is so looking forward to.

The two-and-half months of cricketing education at CSK, getting a chance to interact with Dhoni and picking his brains on all things cricket is certainly on top of his wish-list.

"I could not believe that I have been selected by CSK. It took a while to realise that. I was at home that time and our phone was continuously ringing on that day," the 18-year-old told PTI Bhasha at Willmore Park here.

For him, post U-19 World Cup final, the sole aim is to make his "Dhoni sir proud."

"I want to make Dhoni sir and the CSK family proud. IPL is not in my mind right now. After the final, I will think about it but it is a dream of every cricketer to be a part of the CSK team and play under Dhoni sir," Avanish told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of big-ticket game against Australia.

"It was really a dream come true moment for me," said Avanish, the son of a software engineer, whose interest for the game developed accompanying his father in watching cricket.

Watching cricket on a couch with his father was Avanish's favourite hobby since childhood. The seeds of passionate cricketer was in the Aravelly household back then.

"I have always wanted to become a cricketer since childhood. Papa used to watch cricket on TV when I was a kid. I used to sit with him and that's how my interest developed," he said.

He can't wait to get started at CSK and excitement knows no bounds thinking about how will he react when he meets Dhoni.

"I want to learn about the mindset in pressure situations from him. Like when the team is under pressure and not performing well, how he uses his mind to win matches from those situations.

"His WC 2011 final inning. There is so much to learn from him," said Avanish, who made heads turn at the quadrangular series in November.

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