The Indian Weekender has always strived to introduce to the community a new face, a unique talent and focus on their achievements in their respective field they excel in. In this article, we talk to a young Kiwi-Indian cricketer who was featured in The Indian Weekender’s January 27, 2017 issue and over almost a year and a half later, this all-rounder has leaped in his game and covered another milestone for himself.
14-year-old Keertivaasan Prakash of Blockhouse Bay is in Year 10 at Mt Albert Grammar School (MAGS) and is playing for MAGS Fist XI, Western Districts and Eden Roskill Cricket Club. KV, as he is lovingly called was on two weeks tour to India earlier in April to play against regional cricket clubs and improve his game playing in different pitches and against different teams.
In conversation with The Indian Weekender, KV tells about his progress over the last 15 months and his experience playing in India:
IWK: What are the most significant achievements you have made in the previous one year in terms of elevating your game as a batsman and overall performance?
KV: My significant achievements are scoring 229 runs at an average of 57.25 from 6 games for First XI in the Limited Over Competition. I scored a couple of half centuries, and my highest score was 82*. In the District Tournament, for Year 9, I scored 106 runs in three games, and also took seven wickets at an average of 11.71 and finished fourth in Most Valuable Player (MVP) out of 100 players. I played in the School Premier, the highest level of cricket played in school level grades, the quality is outstanding, and it is a challenge facing all the bowlers who are all of the excellent calibres.
IWK: Tell us about your India tour and your performance.
KV: The India tour was an experience of a lifetime. We visited Mumbai and Delhi and played six games over two weeks from 17th to 26th April. We played against Dilip Vengsarkar Academy, Madan Lal academy and Virender Sehwag Academy in the tour.
Although I did well, I still aim to take another leap in my performance. I learnt a lot about how to play on Indian pitches, and the standard of cricket played there is very high, and the conditions are also quite difficult, I learnt from all of that. I was also the captain of our team for four games. The India tour experience really topped off a year of learning and especially being around with Jacob Oram; it really helped my game.
IWK: How would you describe your Indian experience to elevating your overall game and learning?
KV: I have a much better understanding of Indian pitches and conditions. I've gotten better at batting against spin. It also gave me a little insight on the quality of cricket is in India. I always knew Indians were crazy about cricket, but in India, the grade of cricket is absolutely fantastic, and those players were all outstanding.
IWK: Tell us about your training and mentorship.
KV: My mentors are Tony Sail and Roy Goodyear. Tony has had a significant impact on my game and has taught me loads and loads about the game. He is always telling me how I can get better and is one of my mentors. My other mentor is Roy Goodyear under whom I am learning for over three years. He gives me constant advice on how to improve the mental side of my game and that always helps. My batting coach is Barrington Rowland who teaches me a lot about the technical aspects of the game and guides me about higher grades of cricket.
IWK: What is next on the cards for you?
KV: Right now, I'm working hard at my game. I want to play and learn more and become better and better. I hope to continue to perform well for First XI and Eden Roskill & Western Districts. I would like to become a professional cricketer and p
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