From UP’s junior ranks to the Youth Tests: The rise of Ayaan Akram

For Ayaan Akram, being picked for India Under-19 was already a significant milestone. His chance to make his Youth Test debut, however, came sooner than expected.

With Pranav Ragavendra ruled out due to injury, Ayaan was handed his opportunity. The Uttar Pradesh youngster had done enough at the junior level to earn his place in the India setup.

His rise has been built on consistency, with performances for Uttar Pradesh taking him through one-day cricket, the Challenger Trophy and the Cooch Behar Trophy. In the 2023-24 Under-16 season, Ayaan claimed 25 wickets and scored 200 runs. Two seasons later, he emerged as the highest wicket-taker in India at the Under-19 level, finishing the 2025-26 season with 37 wickets while scoring more than 300 runs.

He made an immediate impression in the Cooch Behar Trophy with an all-round performance on debut. “On my debut, I took five wickets and also scored 50 runs. After that, I performed consistently,” Ayaan told Sportstar.

The India U-19 call-up, therefore, was a continuation of a journey that had been steadily gathering pace. The debut, though, was a reminder of how opportunities can arrive in cricket.

“It feels very good. Coming here to India U-19 is a new journey for me. If I perform well, hopefully I will continue to get selected for the next levels as well,” he said.

But there is more to Ayaan’s journey than numbers and selections. His father, Akram Saifi, also played junior cricket in his younger days before entering cricket administration and management, making Ayaan’s journey a continuation of sorts.

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“My idol is my father,” Ayaan said, adding, “For me, fulfilling my father’s dream is a very big thing. That is what I am working towards right now.”

He is equally grateful for the support of his family. “My parents and my family have supported me a lot. I want to thank them very much for that.”

Ayaan’s progress has not been defined by one particular innings or spell. He sees it as a gradual process, with every match adding something to his game. “I feel that the more matches I play, the more I gradually improve. So, I want to focus on it on a match-by-match basis,” he said.

That philosophy has also shaped his bowling. Accuracy and swing are his primary weapons, while reverse swing has become another part of his repertoire with the older ball.

Though he went wicketless against Australia U-19 in the first Youth Test, the experience has offered valuable lessons. “My strength is accuracy and swing most of the time. Later, when the ball gets old, I can get reverse swing and hit the right lengths,” he said.

He credits his coaches, particularly Dhruv, and his trainer Vishal, for helping him learn the nuances of reverse swing. “My target is to become the best all-rounder in history and achieve something at the World Cup that nobody has done before,” Ayaan said.

For now, his focus is simple – make the most of the opportunity that came his way and contribute to India Under-19. “I want to help my team win as many matches as possible,” he said.

The debut may have come because of an injury to a teammate, but Ayaan’s place in the squad was earned long before that. And as he takes his first steps in India colours, he hopes to make every opportunity count.

Published on Sep 30, 2026