India is a cricket-crazy country, propelled to the top of the game by enthusiastic youngsters who feel strongly about it. Shreyas Hadke, a 10-year-old Akshaya Patra beneficiary from Dr Ambedkar Secondary School and Junior College in the Untakhana area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, is one such boy who is passionate about the game and wants to become a professional cricketer.

Shreyas’s mother, struck by paralysis, can’t walk or cook. His father works as a painter and cooks all the meals at home before leaving for work and after coming back home. His father is very supportive of his dream and tells him to play well, build his strength and improve his game. So, who is his favourite cricketer, we ask him. “Virat Kohli is my favourite. He is a good batsman. I like Mahendra Singh Dhoni too, since he is a good player and his partnership with Kohli is very good. Personally, I would like to be an all-rounder,” he replies, adding that he also likes playing football.

As a cricketer, Shreyas wants to tour the world. He adds, “I like the sixers Virat Kohli hits. While playing cricket, I like fielding, because all that running makes us fit.” When it comes to academics, Shreyas’s favourite subject is Marathi. “I really like Marathi poems. My favourite is Waasru (Calf), which is about a calf who loses his way and then reunites with his mother,” he says.  Besides studies and cricket, Shreyas likes to draw – houses, trees, birds are his favourite subjects.

Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meals served at school find much appreciation with Shreyas. “I like the subzi, especially the soyabean nuggets. I also love Shira (a sweet dish made from semolina) and eat my fill every time,” he explains. He also talks animatedly about his best friends and prompts us to take a picture of them too. His best friends are his schoolmates Om and Anand. “Om helps me whenever I am in need of any assistance. If I hurt myself, he nurses my wounds. Anand is very nice too!” he says, evidently very close to his pals. His favourite teacher is his Marathi and Mathematics teacher Miss Dhumal, because “she teaches very well”.

Shreyas is a wonderful child and his determination to become a cricketer is very impressive! We wish him the very best.