From selling vegetables to India U-19 debut: How Ashutosh Mahida turned hardship into an inspiring cricketing journey

Four years ago, life took an unexpected turn for young fast bowler Ashutosh Mahida. When the Covid-19 pandemic stripped his father of his livelihood, the teenager stepped in to support his family by helping sell vegetables. Yet through all the adversity, Mahida never let go of his dream to play cricket for India.

On Monday, the 18-year-old finally took a major stride toward that ambition as he made his debut for the India A Under-19 team in Bengaluru. The ongoing triangular series features India A, India B, and Afghanistan.

Recalling his struggles, Mahida told TOI, “My father, Chirag Mahida, is a choreographer and was doing well till the pandemic. During the lockdown, work slowed and he was forced to sell vegetables to make ends meet. While I continued my cricket, I also helped him sell veggies.”


“Those were challenging times, but we didn’t give up”
Mahida shared that despite the hardships, his father’s constant encouragement kept him going. “Those were challenging times, but we didn’t give up. My father encouraged me to focus on cricket even during our troubles. Gradually, our situation improved and now he is back to his passion — choreography,” said the pacer, who represents Motibaug Cricket Club.

His cricket journey began early. At age nine, he picked up the sport with his father’s support. “He is very fond of cricket so he encouraged me to play and admitted me to Hind Vijay Gymkhana. I took to fast bowling in the initial few weeks and never looked back. Soon I was picked for inter-club tournaments and was later selected for the Baroda U-16 squad in 2022,” Mahida said.

He went on to play the Vijay Merchant Trophy, and in 2024, impressed in the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, where he claimed 16 wickets in five matches.

Overcoming Injuries and Returning Stronger
Though injuries sidelined him more than once in the past two years, Mahida remained determined. Earlier this month, he competed in the U-19 One Day Challenger Trophy in Hyderabad. Looking ahead to his first international assignment, he said, “This is my first international tournament, but I am not nervous. My aim is to help my team win.”

His coach at Motibaug Cricket Club, Digvijay Rathwa, recalled one of Mahida’s standout performances. “I still remember his bowling spell of seven overs against the Reliance team that changed the entire game in the HD Zaveri League last year. Mahida bagged four wickets in his spell and led the Motibaug team to victory. He is the kind of bowler who likes to strike fear in the hearts of batsmen through pace. He will go a long way.”

About the Youth Triangular Series
The tournament, hosted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence near Bengaluru, began on Monday. It follows a double round-robin format, where each team will play four matches. The top two sides will meet in the final on November 30.

This series serves as a crucial preparation platform for players ahead of the ICC U-19 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia in January–February next year.

[With TOI inputs]