Aman Mokhade Exclusive: Warming Bench to creating World Record; Nagpur Boy fueling Vidarbha Dream with Adaptive Mantra

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Aman Mokhade, remember the name! If one is closely following the domestic proceedings this season, this name is certain to be in the memory for all the right reasons.

Vidarbha's batting prodigy Aman Mokhade has made his name with his scintillating display with the bat. Across formats, he has been piling up runs, scoring left, right, centre (and back of the wicket) as he continues his merry way.

Mokhade scored a stunning century against Karnataka a couple of days ago to power his team to the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His splendid 138 at the CoE ground in Bengaluru showcased his class, and not just that, he also eclipsed Devdutt Padikkal as the highest scorer in the Vijay Hazare this season.

"I am happy and grateful that I was able to contribute for my team. And if I talk about the match, there was a lot of responsibility. An opener giving the perfect start gives our team a chance to win. So, there was one thing in my mind, which was to play the whole innings. I wanted to play as per the condition and it worked," Aman says while speaking with MyKhel in an exclusive chat.

Aman has waited on the wings for Vidarbha last season. Amid a stellar domestic campaign, the young batter was made to sit on the bench. Although it was frustrating for the youngster, Mokhade says he learnt a lot of his batting from Karun Nair. The India batter was part of the Vidarbha setup till last season, before joining Karnataka at thestart of this campaign. Mokhade says he used to talk with Karun on batting, and after his stellar knock, the former Vidarbha man was the first one to congratulate him.

Although Aman has made a significant stride to his career in recent times, his roots come from his parents, especially father, who played a crucial part in his formative years. Aman's father had his own cricketing dream unfulfilled due to financial constraints, and he banked on his son to turn that dream into reality.

"My first love was always cricket. Father used to play cricket but due to financial instability, he couldn't pursue his career. But he knew the trades of professional cricket and the practice, hardwork it requires. I used to play with him, and people around would tell my dad to put me in a professional coaching centre. That's how it started."

Aman Mokhade Career in Numbers

The trait which is fascinating about the 25-year-old is his adaptability. He boasts a First-Class cricket average of around 40, while the List A average soars to 67. In T20 cricket, Aman boasts a strike rate of around 140, while in List A, it hovers around 108. In the Ranji Trophy so far, he has scored 577 runs at an average of 96, with 3 centuries to his name. In the Vijay Hazare, Mokhade has piled up 781 runs with 5 centuries already.

"I was lucky as I made my T20 debut at 21 and I realized the things necessary for success at this level. In the very first year, I realized that I would require a solid base without making too many changes. I play according to the format, and have worked on that in the last two years. I have adapted to the format and that has helped," Mokhade says.

Mokhade has not just scored runs this season, he has also turned his weakness into a strength. 56 per cent of Mokhade's runs against Karnataka came at the square and backward square areas, a significant number indeed. The uppercuts were especially used in abundance by Mokhade, which became productive for him along the way. And revealing his new ploy, the Vidarbha batter says he has worked on his short-ball weakness, an inspiration he took out of the Karun Nair book, yet again.

"At the highest level, people often pick your weaknesses early. Mine was exposed and people were trying to plan with short deliveries. I saw Karun bhaiya (Karun Nair) playing uppercuts last season, and I picked it from there. I practiced a lot, and now I am getting the results."

The emerging star also has only good things to say about the Vidarbha Cricket Association. The VCA has supported the players at all age levels and their recent domestic success is a testament to that. The camps, academies and increased exposure have all played a key part as per Mokhade, who has an eye on the final against Saurashtra on Sunday. After winning the Ranji Trophy last season, a Vijay Hazare trophy in this campaign will be a stellar return for them.

Aman has already piled up more than 1500 runs across the domestic formats this season, but 12 months prior, the chances were few and far between. Despite the lack of opportunities, the player waited patiently with sheer self-belief.

"Last season, I shone in local matches, but chances in domestic cricket eluded me. I knew I belonged there-I could compete and score at that level. It was frustrating not to get any chance, but I was assured that I would make the most out of it when given the opportunity."

Fast forward a few months, the Nagpur-born youngster has also become the fastest in the world to score 1000 List A runs.

Mokhade's journey has taken a big leap forward, but the ultimate dream is the India shirt. With belief in his heart and skill, the Vidarbha batter is taking it ball by ball, as that has been his success mantra. Growing up watching India on TV, he dreams to don the shirt when the right time arrives. For now, let the process continue!