Fate doesn't treat hordes of students thronging to summer coaching camps as kindly as it has done to Aakash Mishra.

Dinesh Lad, who coached India and Deccan Chargers star Rohit Sharma in his formative years, and the head coach of Swami Vivekanand School, spotted Aakash in the nets of United Club during these coaching camps in Mira Road.

Impressed with his left arm action Lad asked him to come for a trial at the Swami Vivekanand School in Borivali.
After the trial, Lad suggested that Aakash change his school u00e2u0080u0094 St Xavier's (Shanti Park Mira Road) u00e2u0080u0094 and join Vivekanand. He also assured the 13-year-old an opportunity to play for the school's cricket team.





It was a suggestion Aakash took seriously and switched schools. Soon, he was inducted in the team to represent the school in the Giles Shied (under-14) cricket tournament. In the few months he has been with the school team, Aakashu00a0has established himself as a key member.

Yesterday at the Elphinstone ground in Azad Maidan, Aakash single-handedly won the match for his school, returning with a match haul of 11 wickets.u00a0

His effort helped Swami Vivekanand cruise past their sister school Swami Vivekanand (Kandivali) with an eight-wicket win and make it to the last four of the tournament where they will meet title contenders Rizvi Springfield.

"I have to concentrate on my line and length and I am sure I will get wickets. I want to continue in the same vein in the next match and get at least five wickets, especially the wicket of Sarfaraz Khan," Aakash said.