Armaan Jaffer didn’t have many claims to fame until early December. Earlier he was just known as former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer’s young nephew. In December, things changed. It was then that this young man smashed 498 runs off 490 balls in an under-14 Giles Shield match, one of India’s major inter-school
tournaments, to clinch the title of highest run scorer. Playing for Rizvi Springfield School against IES Raja Shivaji Vidyalaya in Mumbai, Armaan worked to amass his score over a two-day innings. Seventy seven fours later, he had it under his belt! He’d been at the crease for more than eight hours when he was caught in the slips attempting a cover drive — only two runs short of his quintuple century.
But Armaan wasn’t happy with the huge score. “I didn’t get to 500,” he says wistfully, “That’s my biggest regret. But it means a lot, even though it’s just a baby step to where I really want to be.”
And where’s that? “I want to be another Sachin Tendulkar,” says the lad proudly. Coming from a family of cricketers, his aim is not surprising. His uncle is already an established player, while his father Kalim is a coach and his younger sister Fatima also plays for Mumbai. Armaan is pretty frank about it too, “Cricket rules at home. It’s what we talk about, think about and discuss all the time. To be honest, there is no time for other interests or hobbies,” he admits.
But before he can become a Sachin, Armaan knows that needs to establish himself as an all-rounder first. So right now, his time is divided solely between cricket and studies. October to mid-February is when he plays the most. The next few months are for studies, says the Class VII grader. “While my teachers support me in balancing the study-cricket scene, there is heavy competition on both sides. Nowadays there are so many versions in cricket matches that you need to prepare accordingly. That’s why there is no compromise when it comes to batting, bowling or the routine exercises required to keep me fit,” he says matter-of-factly.
So, the future ahead is pretty clearly etched out in Armaan’s mind. A future that can only involve playing cricket — the national squad is his ultimate goal. But he knows that without an education, nothing can be complete. So he wants a graduation degree too. He knows his day will come. And he’s just waiting for it!