All you need to know about Arshin Kulkarni, 18-year-old Maharashtra cricketer making headlines

Maharashtra is heralded as a springboard of young talents with a plethora of cricketers coming up the ranks and making it in the big leagues over the years. Arshin Kulkarni of Solapur is one such young sensation who has won the spotlight in Maharashtra’s cricket season so far. The 18-year-old player is among the rarest of breeds in limited-overs cricket. He is not just (primarily) a top-order batter who also bowls medium pace but he can open the innings in both departments of the game. 

Keeping aside his exemplary domestic track record, in the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup, Arshin Kulkarni showcased an exceptional performance with both bat and ball to lead India to a seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan. Kulkarni finished with figures of (3/29) as India restricted Afghanistan to 173. However, India faced a rocky start, losing two early wickets for just 10 runs within eight overs and it was Kulkarni's resilient 105-ball 70 (4x4s) that anchored the innings and eventually propelled the Men in Blue to a victory. 

Earlier, Maharashtra benefitted from his all-round skills when they defeated Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai in the semifinals and finals respectively of the U-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy one-dayers in Indore. Arshin, by then had already played at a higher level, having made his senior Maharashtra debut in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.

He was drafted into the U-19 team the next day after Maharashtra ended their T20 campaign against Rajasthan. In the semis against UP, he scored 61 off 45 balls and took 2-56; and in the final he scored a century against Mumbai and got an important first wicket upfront. 

Chairman of selectors Milind Gunjal said, “Arshin batted well. He can improve his running between the wickets. He has got power in his shots but he needs to be a little discreet about the choice of the ball to hit. He needs to give respect to the new ball and his role as an opening batsman.”

Gunjal recalled that when he was with the U-16 team four-five years ago, Arshin used to bowl leg-spin in the nets.

“He was basically a batsman who has added another dimension to his game in just two years,” added Gunjal.

“He is tall and strong and uses his height to get the bounce. He is not fast as such bowling in the region of 120-130kmph. If he works more on his bowling and fitness; and remains injury-free, he can touch 140.”

The son of doctor parents had joined Cadence academy since his U-14 days. He has rented a house in Hadapsar and stays with his maternal grandmother. His mother visits Pune frequently to be with her son.

Not from a sporting background, the idea to take up fast bowling was given to him by his maternal grandfather looking at his teenage growth and fitness level. 

The lanky allrounder previously made the headlines during the Maharashtra Premier League back in June. Not only did he overshadow the performances of both the captains - Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad - but he was instrumental in Eagle Nashik Titans clinching a thrilling one-run win against Puneri Bappa in the Maharashtra Premier League.

Had it not been for Kulkarni’s fearsome hundred (117, 54b, 3x4, 13x6), the Titans would not have been able to pile on a gargantuan 203 for nine. With Yash Kshirsagar’s aggressive 27-ball 47 and Gaikwad’s 23-ball 50 resulting in the Bappas inching closer to the target, the Titans again looked up to Kulkarni’s right-arm medium pace.

And Kulkarni delivered with a magic spell that read 4-0-21-4. In fact, the promising youngster conceded just four runs in the last over, when Bappa required six runs to win.

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Arshin has already given a testament to the powerhouse of talent he possesses and will look to continue his fine work. While it might be a little early too predict, Kulkarni ranks amongst the promising and upcoming talents in the country and can land an IPL contract if any of the franchises decides to give the next-gen star an opportunity.

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