AT JUST 15-years-old, Durban North College pupil, Keyaan Naicker is making waves on the cricket field.
He was recently selected to play for the Dolphins Hub Under 16 team, after a seasoned performance at KZN Cricket Union, the provincial Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and the Sunfoil Hubs U16 tournament, which took place from March 25 to 28 in Durban North.
Keyaan was named batsman of the tournament after his impressive 161 runs.
He was also recognised for his 95 of 38 balls in one of the matches – the highest made by any batsman during the duration of the tournament.
Seven KZN hubs and one invitational scholarship team participated, creating a healthy competition among those invited to the event.
The concept of the hub was created to develop and promote Black, Indian and Coloured cricket players.
Out of these teams, the Dolphin’s U16 hub was selected.
Keyaan Naicker represented the Reservoir Hills/Outer West Hub.
His parents Avisha and Felix Naicker, together with his school, expressed their excitement following Naicker’s achievement, but his mom said the milestone did not phase Keyaan that much.
“He didn’t even tell me he won an award. I saw it in a school post on Facebook. I think he was just being modest about it [Merit Bowler award],” Naicker told the POST
According to Naicker, Keyaan has found a healthy balance between sport and academics and plans to pursue a career in accounting.
We asked her how it felt to be the parent of such a talented young man.
“Both my husband and I are extremely proud. We went to the tournament and watched those matches. There was a lot of talent there,” Naicker explained.
“He started playing in Grade R, he was around six-year-old at the time. He played mini cricket while he was at Durban North Primary School. Since then, he has been really passionate about it,” Avisha said.
Keyaan, a grade 10 pupil, also has his head in his books and currently is completing what is known as the ‘S7’ subject split, which includes Physical Science, Accounting and Life Sciences.
He also plays club cricket at Simplex Crimson together with his school team at Durban North College.
His school also praised his efforts during the tournament.
But he isn’t with the willow in his hand, as Durban North College also awarded him for being one of the school’s top bowlers.
“Keyaan was recognized for his 95 of 38 balls in one of his matches, the highest score made by any Batsman during the duration of the tournament.
“He has also been awarded a Merit Certificate for being one of the top bowlers in the school’s 1st side cricket team.
“Congratulations Keyaan, we cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you,” Durban North College said in a Facebook post.
Keyaan said his success on the field would not have come to pass had it not been for the motivation from his parents, firstly, but also his coaches, Leo Sathiaseelan and Divarshan Naidoo.
Sathiaseelan, who has been working with Keyaan since 2021, said he was a good player on the field and a good person off the field. He is the coach for the Reservoir Hills hub.
“He is a gentleman on and off the field. He has an excellent understanding and knowledge of the game. He has loads of potential, talent, and he has a good work ethic. In cricket, we just don’t look for talent on the field … he is a well-rounded player,” Sathiaseelan said.
The POST