Teenagers from Pune realise dream of playing at Lord’s, the ‘Home of Cricket’, help Scottish club create history | Pune News

Two Pune-born teenagers had the honour of playing at Lord’s Cricket Ground, known as the ‘Home of Cricket’, in the England Cricket Board (ECB) U15 Club T20 competition on September 2.

Shreyas Gajanan Tekale, 15, and Aadi Rahul Khadse, 14, turned up for Scottish team Carlton Cricket Club and contributed to its 8-run victory in the final of the national stage competition against Banstead Cricket Club. Formed in 1863, Edinburgh-based Carlton CC thus became the first Scottish junior side to play at Lord’s and win a national championship.

The cricket journey of both Tekale and Khadse began in Pune’s streets and clubs. Tekale said he started playing cricket at age five and later represented the Chondhe Patil club of Vishal Nagar in Pune. He nursed the passion for cricket even after moving to the UK in 2017.

Tekale, who studies in Class S 4 (equivalent to Class 10 in India) at Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh, joined Carlton CC just a year ago. His game soon caught the attention of coaches who made him the team’s opening batsman and leading leg-spin bowler.

“I know if I perform well for the club, I can get the opportunity to play at the national level. Thus, I pushed myself to play well and get selected for the under-15 championship. I grabbed all the opportunities I could, and now I am an allrounder in our team.” said Teklale, who scored 17 runs in the final and bowled three overs, giving away 21 runs.

Talking about his future, Tekale said cricket is his passion, and he is committed to pursuing a long career in professional cricket with the next goal of getting a place in Scotland’s national team. He also has an interest in coaching young children.

Khadse has been playing cricket for the last eight years. After moving to the UK in 2017, he became a member of the Carlton Club the following year.

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“Getting into the main team event after severe injuries was difficult. I was injured twice this season but managed to recover and get selected. I am blessed to have support from my coaches, teammates and family,” said Khadse, who studies in Class S3 (equivalent to Class 9 in India) at James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh.

“I have been playing cricket for so long, but playing at Lord’s is a dream come true,” Khadse added.

Khadse aims to deliver his best in every game consistently and progressively improve with each season. His immediate goal is to secure a spot in the U16 Scotland squad next year, and his long-term ambition is to become a professional cricketer.

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