Lost Mom At 3, Raised By Uncle Under Financial Crunch-- Know The Inspiring Journey Behind MP's Young Gun & Sunrisers Hyderabad Cricketer Aniket Verma’s Success

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The young-gun batter from Madhya Pradesh set a bigger pitch for himself in the IPL 2026 opener match by knocking the balls out of the park effortlessly and reaching a mark of 43 in just 18 balls against RCB.

Promise made in grief

Aniket Verma, a local MP boy from Bhopal, who was yet to play a T20 game, was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 auction for Rs 30 lakh... but his hustle harks back 13 years ago down the memory lane.

Verma was barely 3 years old when he lost his mother, Mamta Verma, in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Aniket was too young to understand his loss, but his uncle Amit Verma, who was just 15 years old back at that time, understood responsibility. And in that moment, he chose it.

Changes of city, symbolising responsibility

After Aniket's father, Umashankar Verma, remarried, Amit brought Aniket to Bhopal from Jhansi into his own care, in a home shared with his mother.

The change of cities symbolised a promise Amit made to himself at such a young age, a promise that the child would not feel alone, not now, not ever. Even before Amit turned 18, he started working just to earn for his little nephew.

Cricket, however, was a game of gambles. Dreams don’t come with guarantees, and Amit knew the whispers he might face if things didn’t work out.

Years of consistency & practice

However, Aniket, on the other hand, started falling in love with the sport of cricket. He had an inherited skill and used to practice for hours in a nearby railway coaching academy. After three years of consistent practice, his academy coach recommended him to Jyoti (Prakash Tyagi) sir, who was coaching aspiring cricketers at the Ankur Cricket Academy in Bhopal.

Angel disguised as coach

Amit used to work in a workshop of a vehicle showroom, earning around ₹3000 a month. He was not stationed at a position to afford Ankur Cricket Academy's pretty penny.

However, when finances fell short, help was extended in other ways. After discovering Aniket's gun-batting skills, coach Prakash Tyagi didn't charge a single penny from the Vermas; instead, he provided Aniket with the necessary cricket gear and education to sustain his dream of playing the sport.

Promise fulfilled as Aniket outshines

All those uncertainties are apparently things of the past, as years later, in 2025, under the floodlights in Visakhapatnam, a scintillating knock of 74 off 41 balls for Sunrisers Hyderabad unfolded. The knock was less of an inning and more of a story.

There were several missed chances and ducks in the path of success for Aniket, but his uncle Amit was never perturbed. He backed Aniket throughout the journey of domestic cricket and league game success.

Today, as the world begins to notice Aniket, the journey feels almost surreal. But for Amit, it is simple. It was never about fame or recognition; it was about a promise made in grief.