Ronak Panoly is just 12 years old, but he already has three impressive centuries under his belt, the latest coming in the MGS Vision Cup last month.
And he has made it no secret that watching videos of his idol Sachin Tendulkar has helped him achieve that success.
– #360VIEW: Khurram Khan's career must be celebrated
The all-rounder was in inspirational form with the bat, hitting 103 off just 43 balls as GEMS Modern Academy beat St Mary’s Catholic School by 146 runs in their Under-13 group match in Sharjah.
While it was a group game, it was a knock that Panoly, whose two centuries came in an inter-school tournament last year, will always remember.
“It was one of my best innings because I played it whilst I was under pressure as I wasn’t playing well and there was always a possibility that I could be demoted down the batting order,” he said.
“With other people also waiting for an opportunity, I had to perform but my coach (Shafiq Ahmad) told me I had the potential and he had belief in me.
“I didn’t celebrate much when I scored the century as I knew this won’t be the only century I will score in my life. I didn’t want to show off a lot, but for me it’s a personal achievement.”
Playing with a plastic bat and ball at the age of four, Panoly soon took a keen interest in cricket and three years later joined Dubai-based Maxtalent Global Sports Academy.
Panoly admits it wasn’t easy to adjust to cricket in “a match environment” but that soon changed thanks to Tendulkar.
“There was a programme on Sachin, who was giving tips and I watched it closely,” he said.
“He was showing how to step forward and hit the ball and increase your power at the same time.
“I was a player who used to get out many times when I played in the air, and with him being the master of hitting along the ground, I’ve applied those tips to my all-round play when I practise.
“Sachin’s advice definitely gave me the belief and my game has improved a lot because of it.
“I’ve also improved my coverdrive as my foot work wasn’t good when I first started.”
Hailing from Mumbai, it’s no surprise that is his role model, given that the 42-year-old legend had grown up and developed his cricket in Mumbai.
“From everything I have seen and heard of him, I learned that even if you attain success, you should never be too proud and carry on achieving more success just like how Sachin did throughout his career,” said Panoly, whose has read many books on sports, including Tendulkar’s autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’.
With his sights firmly set on playing in the IPL, Panoly knows it will be difficult to achieve his dream, but he hopes to excel at Maxtalent.
“Maxtalent has been really good to me and their coaches have put a lot of trust in me and I want to continue improving,” he said.
“All the coaches and parents motivate me but it’s up to me to work hard and fulfil my dream.”
