First Mizoram cricketer Divyansh Joshi hopes to compete with Hardik Pandya in the future

Getting a chance to represent your country at any level is a stuff of dreams. And, aspiring sportsmen live that dream with open eyes. They struggle, persevere when all the kids of their age are having the time of their lives.

So, when the dream does translate into reality, they are naturally over the moon. 18-year-old all-rounder Divyansh Joshi is all set to become the first cricketer to represent his country from Mizoram. The all-rounder, who hails from Delhi, is naturally quite upbeat about the prospect of playing for the country.

Joshi has been included in the Indian U-19 World Cup squad that will travel to the rainbow nation to defend the title won by Prithvi Shaw’s men, two years ago, when they beat Australia in the finals in New Zealand.

The all-rounder opened up about that ‘surreal’ feeling when he learned that his name has been included in the squad in an exclusive interview the Asian Age. “It is a great feeling to be selected from Mizoram. It is also an inspiration to all the people from there. Getting selected for U-14, U-16, U-19 state teams and now Indian team gives me immense pleasure,” said Divyansh.

Divyansh Joshi is a big fan of Hardik Pandya

It is a feeling that one can’t explain when he sees someone from his tutelage go on and represent the country. And, naturally, Divyansh’s coach was upbeat about his selection and even went on to say that the all-rounder can be the next Hardik Pandya.

“He can be a sensational player. I have been working with him. He can be India’s next Hardik Pandya. His future is bright and he can be an asset to any IPL team,” the coach said.

Divyansh himself is a big fan of Hardik Pandya and while he doesn’t want to be compared to the Indian all-rounder, he indicated that he would love to compete with Pandya in the future. “I think Hardik Pandya is a very big player and I am nowhere near to him. But yes, I would surely like to be his competitor one day.” hoped Divyansh.