Who is Drona Desai? All you need to know about Gujarat schoolboy who entered record books with marathon 498-run knock

At 18, Drona Desai has etched his name into the record books with an astonishing 498-run innings for his school, St Xaviers (Loyola), in the Diwan Ballubhai Cup under-19 multi-day tournament. His marathon knock came against JL English School at the Shivay cricket ground in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, placing him in an elite list of players who have reached such tall scores in Indian cricket history.

Desai’s incredible innings, spanning 320 balls, included seven towering sixes and 86 boundaries, dominating the opposition in a fashion rarely seen. His efforts ensured a resounding innings and 712 runs victory for his team over the opponents, who were already a man down, playing with just 10 players for the entire match; one of the players in the JL English School team, according to Indian Express, walked in late.

Despite coming agonisingly close to a monumental 500-run mark, Desai expressed his cheerful emotions after the game. “I wasn’t aware I was so near to 500. There was no scoreboard, and my team didn’t inform me. I went to play my stroke and got out, but I’m happy to have made those runs,” said Desai, reflecting on his historic performance.

Who is Drona Desai?

Hailing from Gujarat, Drona Desai has steadily risen through the ranks of youth cricket. Having already represented the state at the under-14 level, Desai’s recent achievement is bound to draw attention from selectors as he eyes a spot in Gujarat’s under-19 squad. His journey in cricket started at the tender age of seven, heavily influenced by watching his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, bat.

Desai credits much of his progress to his father, who recognized his potential early on and ensured he received quality coaching under Jayprakash Patel, a renowned coach who has mentored over 40 cricketers in the region.

“I began to play cricket at the age of seven and my father pushed me hard as he felt I have in me to become a good cricketer. He took me to JP Sir (Jayprakash Patel) who had coached more than 40 cricketers. Such is the scenario that since standard 8 to 12, I just went to school for my exams. I just continued playing cricket and am hoping to make it big one day,” Desai told Indian Express.

With his name now added to a distinguished list of cricketers who recorded some of the highest scores in school cricket; these include Pranav Dhanawade (1009* ) and India cricketer Prithvi Shaw (546).