After losing his mother, young Aniket was brought from Jhansi to Bhopal by his uncle Amit, who took responsibility for his upbringing. Despite financial struggles, Amit backed Aniket’s passion for cricket. Years later, Aniket’s match-winning knock for Sunrisers Hyderabad stands as a testament to sacrifice, belief, and a promise fulfilled against all odds.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The young-gun batter from Madhya Pradesh set a bigger pitch for himself in the IPL 2026 opener match by knocking the balls out of the park effortlessly and reaching a mark of 43 in just 18 balls against RCB.

Promise made in grief

Aniket Verma, a local MP boy from Bhopal, who was yet to play a T20 game, was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 auction for Rs 30 lakh... but his hustle harks back 13 years ago down the memory lane.

Verma was barely 3 years old when he lost his mother, Mamta Verma, in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Aniket was too young to understand his loss, but his uncle Amit Verma, who was just 15 years old back at that time, understood responsibility. And in that moment, he chose it.