LUCKNOW: Almost 28 years ago, a young pace bowler from Saharanpur, Akram Saifi went through the paces to make it to the Uttar Pradesh team for Under-16 board trophy matches in the 1997-98 season, but all his efforts went in vain even after making the cut to the final round.
That disappointment forced Akram to shift his base to Chandigarh to hone his skills under the very eyes of Yograj Singh, an ex-India cricketer. This paid rich dividends as he played up to the university level, but his dream was always to play for his own state in domestic trophies.
Even after coming back home to Saharanpur, Saifi kept his dreams alive, this time for his son Ayaan Saifi. Ayaan first impressed in the Under-16 cricket with 25 wickets and 200 runs in the 2023-24 season, and then did wonders for the Under-19 side, emerging as the highest wicket-taker in India with 37 wickets and scoring over 300 runs in the 2025-26 season.
That haul underlined his ability to take wickets across conditions and stages of a match, and in three crucial fixtures he contributed significantly with both ball and bat to steer Uttar Pradesh to outright wins. Such contributions from a young seamer who can also hold an innings show the kind of balance teams increasingly value in modern youth cricket.
A consistent showing then in all local and state matches kept Ayaan going well and his hard work on Thursday paid off as he made it to the India U19 side for two multi‑day matches against Australia U19, starting September 27 in Rajkot.
“Now, it’s an opportunity for me to fulfil my father’s dream for India. I heard so many stories about my father’s struggle in the game, but now I feel that I can bring good days of cricket for him,” Ayaan said on Thursday.
“I always look for opportunities, especially wickets and runs whenever I get a chance to play for my state team. I would love to continue my form against the Australia U19 side too,” he added.
Ayaan’s journey is not sudden as it has roots in solid age group achievements. Even in recent trial matches for the new U19 season in Uttar Pradesh he announced himself emphatically: across six matches he amassed 292 runs and claimed four wickets. That burst of form — with a heavy run tally and handy bowling returns — reinforced his case for higher selection and illustrated his growth as a reliable middle-order bat and supporting seamer.
His father, Saifi, on Thursday too expressed hope that his son will surely fulfill his dream of playing cricket at the top level. “It was really tough for me when I missed out on selection in Under-16 during my days, but those experiences and sacrifices helped shape the environment that fostered Ayaan’s development,” Saifi said.
“I could have played cricket further beyond university level, but at that time family commitments and problems forced me to come back home,” he further said.
He also said that his son’s selection to the India U19 side for the two home multi-day fixtures against Australia is a major milestone. “It will be an important test of temperament, technique, and stamina for Aayan. Multi-day matches demand discipline with the ball and patience with the bat,” he further said.
Former junior India selector Gyanendra Pandey too sees a bright future for Aayan in the game. “Ayaan’s combination of pace bowling potency, handy lower-order batting, and a background steeped in cricketing struggle positions him as a young player to watch,” he said, adding, “If he carries his domestic form into the Rajkot series, he could cement a place in future national plans and inspire other youngsters from similar backgrounds.”
