Image source: Pradeep Sharma
Hoti Ram used to sell Chole-Kulcha outside DAV College, Jalandhar.
He loved cricket. He especially liked the pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. But in his financial condition it was not possible for him to even dream of becoming a cricketer.
Whenever he got time after working at a street vendor all day, he would play cricket in the streets. His first concern was not playing but getting food for the house.
After many years, the same Hoti Ram's son Arjun Rajput is wearing the blue jersey of India Under-19. The interesting thing is that Virender Sehwag's son Aryaveer is also playing in the same team. But Arjun's story is not just about reaching here.
On 14th November, India and Pakistan are face to face in the final of Under-19 Asia Cup. Arjun is a part of that Indian team. Even six days before this final, Arjun was facing Pakistan.
At that time, India's three wickets had fallen for only 22 runs. Arjun came to bat and scored 107 runs in 85 balls. His innings included 11 fours and five sixes.
India lost that match by three wickets, but Arjun's counter-attacking century took the team to a score where its bowlers could compete.
To understand that innings of his, one has to return to the same cricket academy in Jalandhar, where one day Arjun suddenly stopped coming.
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When Arjun stopped coming to the academy
Image source: Arjun Rajput/Instagram
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According to the report of The Indian Express, in 2015, Hoti Ram took his eight-year-old son Arjun to Harbhajan Singh Institute of Cricket in Jalandhar to get cricket training. Here Arjun started learning cricket under the supervision of coach Vikram Sidhu.
Arjun's elder brother Karan already used to play cricket. He was participating in the inter-district age-group tournament for Jalandhar. Seeing him, Arjun's interest in cricket also increased.
At the academy, coach Vikram Sidhu soon recognized one of Arjun's special qualities.
According to Sidhu, while explaining the basics of cricket to small children, the same thing has to be repeated many times. But whatever was told to Arjun once, he would understand it.
He did not miss any training session. Then suddenly he stopped coming to the academy.
Another coach of the academy felt that perhaps Arjun's family was not able to raise the fees. When Sidhu came to know about this, he decided that now training fees will not be taken from Arjun.
The difficulty was not limited to cricket fees only. It was not easy for the family to raise Arjun's school fees.
Sidhu's academy had an agreement with a school. He spoke to the school principal and requested to waive off Arjun's entire fees.
Sidhu told the principal that he was giving him a player who would one day play for India. In return the school will have to bear the expenses of his education.
Later, even when the academy was closed, Sidhu stood by Arjun. He helped him get admission in school, so that both studies and cricket could continue.
The family did not let him realize the difficulties
It was not easy for Hoti Ram to manage the household expenses and also bear the expenses of children's education and sports.
He told The Tribune that he had to take a loan to pay for his children's education and school fees. Even at that time he had to manage other household expenses.
While talking to the newspaper, Hoti Ram was going to deliver kulchas.
By then his street vendor had been replaced by a bakery making kulchas. Some people had started working with them, but the work of preparing and delivering the kulchas was continuing.
Arjun was not the only player in the house. His elder brother Karan played cricket and elder sister Kiran played tennis.
Hoti Ram did not stop his children from playing. He said, "I could not play, let my children play."
But family responsibilities started increasing.
Karan left cricket four years ago and started helping his ailing father. At that time Arjun was playing for Punjab Under-16.
According to Karan, Arjun's coach constantly said that he had great potential. When Arjun scored five consecutive centuries, Karan also became confident that his younger brother could play for the country.
One brother took over the work of his father, so that the other brother's cricket could continue.
Arjun also told The Tribune that the family did not allow him to realize his difficulties. Despite this, he understood what was being done at home to continue his training.
The family only wanted him to concentrate on cricket and perform his best.
One visa mistake and missed foreign trip
There came an occasion in Arjun's initial journey when he had to go to Dubai with the team.
According to coach Vikram Sidhu, Arjun was very excited about this tour and all the preparations had been done. But he could not go due to the wrong spelling of his name in the visa.
Arjun was very disappointed.
Sidhu told him that more opportunities will come in future. After a few months the team went to South Africa.
According to Sidhu, other batsmen were struggling to score runs on the wickets there, but Arjun made the team win the match and became the player of the tournament.
Punjab made under-16 champion
An important milestone in Arjun's domestic cricket came in January 2023.
He was the captain of Punjab Under-16 team. Punjab defeated Madhya Pradesh by 10 wickets in the final of Vijay Merchant Trophy.
Arjun scored 52 runs in the first innings and was the highest run-scorer of his team.
After this his journey reached India Under-19.
BCCI announced India Under-19 ODI team for Sri Lanka tour on 11 June 2026. Arjun's name was also there in it.
In the second Youth ODI against Sri Lanka in July, India lost four wickets for 81 runs.
Arjun made a partnership of 145 runs with Anvay Dravid for the fifth wicket. Arjun scored 76 runs in 81 balls, which included nine fours and one six. Anvay scored 87 runs.
This experience of rebuilding the innings after early wickets fell later came in handy against Pakistan also.
In August, when the ODI team was selected for the Australia Under-19 tour of India, Arjun got a place in it too.
695 runs and 11 wickets
Just before the Under-19 Asia Cup, Arjun showed his role in domestic cricket with both bat and ball.
Punjab won the Vinoo Mankad Trophy in October. In the final it defeated Mumbai by seven wickets.
Arjun was the player of the series of the tournament. According to BCCI records, he scored 695 runs and took 11 wickets.
In the ICC profile, Arjun has been described as an all-rounder. He is a left hand batsman and off-break bowler.
That means his role is not limited to scoring runs only in the middle order.
What was seen in the innings against Pakistan?
On November 8, India won the toss and chose to bat first against Pakistan.
But on the very second ball, captain Lakshya Raichandani was out without scoring a run. After this VK Vineet and Yashvardhan Chauhan also returned.
The score was three wickets for 22 runs when Arjun came to the crease.
Aryaveer Sehwag was at the other end. After some time, he was also out and India's score was four wickets for 42 runs.
From here Arjun added 44 runs with Anvay Dravid. After Anvay was out, he made a partnership of 64 runs with Manal Chauhan.
Wickets kept falling from the other end, but Arjun did not limit his batting to defense only.
He tried to put pressure back on the bowlers. Looked for opportunities to score boundaries and increased the pace of scoring runs.
During the match, Arjun also changed his bat and sent the very next ball out of the covers to the boundary.
In the same innings, he also hit a six with the back foot.
These shots show that despite the pressure, Arjun was not only thinking about saving the wicket. He was trying to bring India back into the match by counter-attacking.
He completed his century in 80 balls.
When Arjun was out in the 36th over, India's score was seven wickets for 170 runs. Of these, 107 runs were scored by Arjun alone.
The entire Indian team was all out for 208 runs.
Pakistan achieved the target and won the match by three wickets. But Arjun's innings took India to a score where its bowlers had a chance to stay in the match.
Now Pakistan is in front again
Pakistan will once again face India in the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup on 14 November.
Six days ago, Arjun had come to bat against Pakistan when India's innings had faltered. He scored his first Youth ODI century under pressure.
Now the competition is for the title.
The Indian team will also include the left-handed batsman from Jalandhar, whose father once had to raise expenses from the earnings of Chole-Kulcha to continue his cricket, the elder brother had left his cricket to take up his father's work and the coach had found a way to get the training and school fees waived off.
Arjun's father's dream is no longer limited to seeing his son in the India Under-19 jersey.
Hauti Ram told The Indian Express that his dream will come true the day Arjun Senior plays for the Indian team and brings home the World Cup.
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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