One of Arshin Kulkarni's greatest privileges so far in his cricketing journey has been the opportunity to face Jasprit Bumrah at the nets. Kulkarni was an India Under-19 aspirant back then while Bumrah was in his final stages of rehab from a back injury. When the two squared off, simply being able to sight the ball and line himself up to defend gave him confidence.
Kulkarni didn't know back then that an Under-19 World Cup berth would be another chapter in this unlikely journey that began in Solapur, Maharashtra when he was all of six. His grandmother enrolled him at the nearest club to their residence - Salim Khan Cricket Academy - to ensure the 'little' child wouldn't be bored after school hours.
When the 'little' boy grew up to become much taller, as he hit adolescence, Kulkarni was told by his coaches to switch to seam-ups because he had the height. In 2019, he gave up legspin despite having had decent success - he even picked up a hat-trick in a club game - to bowl seam-ups. It's one of the big decisions that Kulkarni is thankful for today.
The other thing he's thankful for is the support of his grandparents, especially his grandmother. An avid cricket buff herself, she had immersed herself in Kulkarni's cricket since his parents, both pediatricians who run a hospital in Solapur, had busy and often draining schedules.
Kulkarni grew up admiring South Africa allrounder Jacques Kallis and had this burning desire to be able to bat and bowl like him. Last month, Kulkarni was tongue-tied when he met Kallis for the first time during a camp at SuperSport Park in Centurion prior to the ongoing Under-19 World Cup.
His spontaneous response was to seek Kallis' blessings by touching his feet. Kulkarni had also carried with him a letter penned by his grandmother, where she addresses Kallis and the impact he has had on her grandson.
"On my birthday, I was around eight-years old. My granny asked me 'What would you like for your birthday?' I said Jacques Kallis. And she got a six-feet poster of yours and it's still in my room," Kulkarni told Kallis after they met. It's a video SA20 outfit Pretoria Capitals posted on social media, one that went viral around the time for Kulkarni's gesture.
He hasn't so far hit the kind of peak form those in Maharashtra's age-group circuit are aware of, but his 174 runs in five innings in the Under-19 World Cup include a superb century against USA. Kulkarni has also picked up four wickets with his seam and swing, having proven to be a dependable bowler who gives the team plenty of flexibility.
This massive step in his career has only been possible because Kulkarni, and his family, took the first big step in moving out of his comfort zone seven years ago. When he was 12, Kulkarni moved to Pune, five hours away, to train. He joined the Cadence Cricket Academy, a renowned institution in the city, to further his pursuits.
But the family had one problem to solve: how someone, not even in his teens, would manage the long commutes and life away from home comforts. His grandmother took complete ownership and would travel up and down with Kulkarni, sometimes even to games in the interiors of the state to ensure he had moral support whenever his parents were unavailable due to their professional commitments.
Kulkarni sought permission from his school to travel to Pune for three-four days a week. He'd finish school on Wednesday afternoon and reach the city to train from Thursday to Sunday before returning home to start a new week in school. The memories from this routine and the grind came flooding back when Kulkarni had a dream-come-true moment when he met Kallis.
Kulkarni has first made a mark locally in Maharashtra when he struck a triple-hundred in an Under-16 invitational tournament. Among those who were impressed with his ability to bat that long, while also being able to score at a breakneck speed was Nikhil Paradkar, the former Maharashtra batter who also went on to coach Kulkarni a couple of years down the line.
"We started working together around Covid," Paradkar tells ESPNcricinfo. "He was tall, hefty at the time. You could see there was some uniqueness about him purely from the manner in which he batted and hit long he could bat trusting those methods. He could clear boundaries easily. For a 17-year-old to have these traits was impressive. The only thing we needed to do was to fine-tune his technique and smartness."
Last year, Kulkarni played a massive part in Maharashtra winning the Under-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy. In the quarterfinal, he made a vital 60 on a tough surface. In the final, he made a match-winning hundred in the final against Mumbai.
It was also around the time of this triumph that Kulkarni shed "seven to eight kilos" as per Paradkar. "The performances in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy earned him a T20 debut at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy," he says. "And the MPL (Maharashtra Premier League) then came as a boon, where his first knock was a century. The six-hitting in that innings was a treat."
In December, he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 20 lakh at the auction. This big-hitting ability was obviously one of the key differentiators.
"His fitness transformation has been remarkable," Paradkar. "The commitment, the discipline in his eating habits that he's brought into his regimen has been a massive change. For someone to have that kind of understanding of the need to transform himself to take his game to the next level shows his maturity."
Away from cricket, Kulkarni loves playing tennis and is a PlayStation fanatic who loves FIFA and UFC. He doesn't do a lot of social media, doesn't fancy high-end gadgets, which he would happily trade for "good bats."
For the moment, his focus is firmly on the present. Which is to win the Under-19 World Cup for India. Kulkarni's parents are with him in South Africa. In Solapur, his grandmother will be among many millions watching and hoping Kulkarni, and the Indian team, go all the way.