Drona Desai, an 18-year-old cricketer from Gujarat, has captured the spotlight by scoring an astonishing 498 runs for his school, St. Xaviers (Loyola), during the Diwan Ballubhai Cup Under-19 multi-day tournament held in Gandhinagar. This remarkable innings showcases his skills and places him among the highest scorers in Indian school cricket history.
A Record-Breaking Performance
Desai’s monumental innings took place on September 24 at the Shivay cricket ground, where he faced 320 balls, striking an impressive 86 boundaries and 7 sixes. His performance led St. Xaviers to a resounding victory by an innings and 712 runs against JL English School, who played the match with only ten players due to one arriving late. This victory underscores the dominance of Desai and his team throughout the match.
With this score of 498 runs, Desai now ranks as the joint third-highest scorer in Indian school cricket history, sharing this honor with Arman Jaffer. He trails only behind Mumbai’s Pranav Dhanawade, who holds the record with 1009 not out, and Prithvi Shaw with 546 runs. This achievement is particularly noteworthy as it highlights Desai’s potential to ascend to higher levels of competitive cricket.
The Journey to Greatness
Desai began playing cricket at the age of seven, inspired by his idol, Sachin Tendulkar. His father played a pivotal role in nurturing his talent, ensuring that he received proper coaching under Jayprakash Patel, a respected figure in local cricket who has trained numerous successful players. Desai remarked, “I just continued playing cricket and am hoping to make it big one day,” emphasizing his dedication to the sport.
Despite his incredible achievement, Desai expressed disappointment at falling short of the 500-run milestone, stating he was unaware of his score during the match due to the absence of a scoreboard. “There is no scoreboard on the ground, and my team didn’t inform me that I was batting on 498,” he explained. “I went to play my stroke and got out, but I’m happy that I managed to get those runs.”, he concluded.
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