Arjun Rajput scored a superb hundred against Pakistan for India U-19 in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup on Sunday, November 8
India were 161/6 after 34 overs, with Rajput’s 11 fours and 4 sixes driving the innings
Aaryavir Sehwag was India’s next-highest scorer with 22 as the batting line-up struggled on the same pitch
Arjun Rajput showcased his class against Pakistan, playing for the India U-19 team in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup on Sunday, November 8.
He scored a brilliant hundred against Pakistan in an emphatic manner while other Indian batters struggled on the same pitch, with Aaryavir Sehwag being the second-highest run-scorer for India with 22 runs.
Arjun was dismissed by Rizwanullah after a sensational knock of 106 off 82 balls, decorated with 11 fours and 5 sixes.
His rise has come from years of family struggle in Jalandhar, where his father Hoti Ram ran a chhole-kulche cart for years before moving to a small bakery. The earnings were small, but he never stopped. Rajput has also been selected for the India U-19 squad for the upcoming one-day tour of Sri Lanka.
From Cart To Bakery
Hoti Ram built the family’s life around a food cart. For many years, he sold chhole-kulche from a cart in Jalandhar. That cart was the family’s only source of income. He would wake up early, prepare the food and stand by the roadside for hours to make a living.
A year ago, he shut the cart and opened a small bakery. He now prepares and delivers kulchas from that bakery. Even with the shift, the family’s financial strain did not disappear overnight.
Money was tight for years. Hoti Ram took loans to cover his children’s education and school fees while also managing household expenses. There were months when fees were hard to pay on time and days when the cart did not bring in enough money. He borrowed from relatives, neighbours and anyone who could help. “Life was full of challenges,” he said recently in an interview.
Path To India U-19
Rajput started young. He began playing cricket at the age of seven and joined the Harbhajan Singh Institute of Cricket in Jalandhar. For a few years, he trained there regularly, picked up the basics and kept alive his dream of playing for India.
Then the academy shut down. Its doors closed and the coaches left. For many young cricketers, that could have ended the journey, but Rajput found support from people who knew his game.
Vikram Sidhu stepped in. Sidhu, who had been associated with the institute and had trained Rajput personally, decided to help after the academy closed. He got Rajput admitted to a prominent school and asked the management to waive his fees. The school agreed. That allowed Rajput to continue his studies and cricket without adding to his father’s financial pressure.
Arjun said his family was his biggest strength. He saw his father leave early every morning. He also saw his mother run the house with very little money and watched loans being taken and repaid with difficulty. No one ever told him to stop playing cricket. No one ever asked him to get a job instead.
“My family never let me feel their struggles, but I could always sense the sacrifices they were making,” he said. “They only wanted me to focus on cricket and give my best.”
The progress has continued. Rajput has now been selected for the India U-19 squad for the upcoming one-day tour of Sri Lanka.
The strain has eased, not ended. Hoti Ram still makes his kulcha deliveries and not all the loans have vanished. The financial struggles are not completely over, but the burden feels lighter as Rajput now prepares to represent India at U-19 level.
