A closer look at the hard work and dedication behind freshman Vilohith Adusumalli’s success
Cricket is a sport that not many people are naturally talented at; it takes long hours of practice and daily commitment for players to succeed. For the athletes, it becomes not just a game, but a lifestyle that they give up a lot for.
Vilohith Adusumalli (9) plays for the Virinchi Krishna Cricket Academy (VKCA) Vikings, which is a team in the Bay Area that is a D1 finalist and D2 champion for the Fremont Hub Circuit. He said, “Being on a D2 team takes a lot of work. I have to take time out of my schedule for 3-4 hour practices 4 days every week.”
The team gets together every week for batting practice, bowling practice, and a solid hour of conditioning. “Our coaches have this rule—however many runs we lose is how many laps we have to run,” said Adusumalli.
Coach Narsingh, one of Adusumalli’s coaches, said, “When he joined, he wasn’t really great at the game and didn’t have anything to his name except his passion and hard work. Then eventually, he got really good at cricket and became the best on our team, so [we] made him the captain.”
Adusumalli said, “It was initially confusing and overwhelming, which actually made me want to play more. The joy of playing and allowing me to get away from my schoolwork was what motivated me to keep going.”
Adusumalli’s other coach, Coach Sravan, said, “When I first saw Vilohith, I noticed his hard work. Making him the team’s captain was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” Both of his coaches mentioned his attendance at practices and games as even if he was injured Adusumalli would still do his best to keep up during practice and root for his team on the bench.
Adusumalli has also built strong relationships with his teammates. Atiksh Jain (9) is on the same team as Adusumalli. Jain mentioned, “When I joined the team, Vilohith gave me a warm welcome and pushed me to do better than I thought I ever could.” Now, when Adusumalli is unable to play in a game, Jain is the player that steps up and fills his shoes.
Adusumalli practiced his batting for the first time in 3 weeks after recovering from an injury (Photo Credit: Vilohith Adusumalli (9)).
Adusumalli stated, “I really am proud of [Jain], because he improved a lot. He just keeps getting better; I can see myself in him.”
Sharanya Yadav (9) is another one of Adusumalli’s closest teammates and friends. She said, “I see him at practice every day giving it his all, even if he’s not in the right mood to play. It seems like an escape from stress for him.”
Adusumalli confirmed this, saying, “When I play, I tune out all background noises and give it my all on the field.”
When he joined, Adusumalli wasn’t the best at the game, but his hard work and dedication lifted him to the top of his team. “Before I joined the cricket academy, I thought I would be completely mediocre my whole life, but cricket showed me something that was a part of me that I didn’t know existed,” he said. “The sport gave me perspective; it showed me how hard people work, how little they get, and yet how satisfied they are with their results. Never look at a chance as a chance to fail. Always look at it as a chance to succeed.”
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