Wisden's Schools Cricketer of the Year is a British with Indian roots, wants to dismiss Virat Kohli: 'Makes me shiver'
Eighteen-year-old Aryaman Varma was named the 2025 Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year earlier this week, an accolade that once celebrated the likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow. The young leg-spinner enjoyed a record-breaking outing this season, picking 51 wickets and captaining Eton College. However, one of his biggest dreams is to dismiss a man who needs no introduction to the world of cricket: Virat Kohli.
"This might be a very boring answer," Varma told TimesofIndia.com, "but it's Virat Kohli, the king. Just thinking about it makes me shiver. But I'm sure if I got him out, there would be tears running down my face and cheek.'
It's a sentiment not just born of admiration, but of devotion. 'Virat Kohli is someone my whole family admires. I would even say we worship him. The character he is, the entertainment he provides, and the skill he has – it's never been seen before, and I don't think it ever will be.'
While many teenagers idolise stars from a distance, Varma is inching closer to the dream.
Over the last three years, he's been a net bowler with Delhi Capitals, sharing the nets and notes with India's ace wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The mentorship, Varma says, has shaped his path more than anything else.
"Kuldeep bhai has given me just one piece of advice. He has told me that at my age, I should just play matches. He says the more match experience I have, the better I will become," said the youngster.
Kuldeep's words have become a guiding principle for Varma as he juggles cricket in England with his aspirations in the IPL and beyond. Having spent his early years in Mumbai before moving to London, Varma has stayed rooted in his cricketing passion.
The teen's ambition remains crystal clear: to play international cricket, to bowl in the IPL, and one day, to take the wicket of his idol. 'To get his wicket one day, maybe while bowling against RCB, would be the biggest dream come true,' he said.
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