Aryaman Birla
Aryaman Birla (Credits: ESPNCricinfo)

Madhya Pradesh batsman Aryaman Birla has decided to take an “indefinite sabbatical from cricket”. The youngster stated that he wanted to focus on his mental health above everything else for the time being. The 22-year old has suffered a number of injury setbacks in recent months and has not played a single competitive game since January this year,

Last month, he was also released by IPL team Rajasthan Royals after staying with the franchise for a couple of years. But during those two years, he did not get any chance to make his IPL debut. Aryaman Birla became a household name as soon as his story became public after he was picked by Rajasthan Royals.

The left-handed batsman is the son of the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla. At an early age of 17, he left his hometown in Mumbai and moved to Madhya Pradesh to brighten up his chances of making it big in the game. Before moving to Madhya Pradesh, he had a three-month stint in England under former Middlesex cricketer Paul Weekes, playing for West Hampstead Cricket Club and the London Schools Cricket Association.

Aryaman Birla finally made his Ranji Trophy debut in October 2017 and did make an immediate impression. Aryaman Birla scored a fine fighting century in his third first-class game to help Madhya Pradesh salvage a hard-fought draw against Bengal at the iconic Eden Gardens.

‘Felt trapped’:

Aryaman Birla took to Instagram to confirm his decision of taking the sabbatical from the game. He stated that he wanted to focus on his mental health and thus took the decision.

“I’ve felt trapped. I’ve pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to put my mental health and wellbeing above all elseAnd so, I’ve decided to take an undefined sabbatical from cricket. This lovely sport is an integral part of my life and I hope to be back on the field when the time is right.

“We all have our own journeys and I want to take this time to understand myself better, open my mind to new and varied perspectives and seek purpose in my findings,” he wrote on Instagram.

 

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