A talent that caught the eye of Brearley

Focus on sports talent

It is indeed special when Mike Brearley compliments you, especially if you are as young as six years old. Shivam MB's stylish strokes at the 'nets' of Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) caught the attention of the former England captain. "I am impressed with this boy," Brearley had told coach Irfan Sait then.

"His fine hand-eye coordination was what impressed me the most. Mike Brearley was with me and he loved Shivam's style. That's when we decided to take interest in him," recollects Irfan.

Ten years ago, Madan Singh moved to Bengaluru from his native Najafgarh, Delhi. A cricket-mad Madan, like many fathers in India, dreamt of his son donning the India colours. By enrolling him at the KIOC, he wished to see Shivam grow as a cricketer by piling runs consistently. But the Air Force officer's posting to Nasik has robbed him off the chance to see his son dazzle on the field.

Over the years, Shivam has seldom wasted opportunities to make his father proud. Ever since his tryst with cricket, the 14-year-old has slammed 32 centuries and five double tons across various tournaments.

Having made his State debut last season -- for the Karnataka U-14 side -- Shivam is on the right path. The youngster understands the challenges of playing the game. "It's important to have a positive mindset. You may score runs or you may not, but a positive mindset helps you in the long run," he tells.

Shivam is quick to say he will never forget what his idol Rahul Dravid, the former India captain, once said. "Rahul sir told me it's always important to respect the game and I keep that in mind," he says.

The right-handed batsman rates his first ton for Karnataka as his most memorable knock so far. "In the State U-14, I scored a century against Goa in Visakhapatnam. That will always remain special for me," says Shivam, a ninth standard student of St Joseph's Boys High School.

Shivam's impressive consistency has convinced coach Irfan to test him in higher-age group tournaments. "When he was 12, he played Division V. He has begun to play U-19 tournaments as well," Irfan says.

"Playing cricket is all he likes," says Shivam's mother Sandhya, a home-maker. "His father isn't satisfied with one or two hundreds. Shivam takes it up as a challenge to score more and he has shown he can," says the proud mother.