Teen phenom aspires to cricketing greatness
Published: Guardian
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Yvonne Baboolal
Teenager Kirstan Kallicharan of Piarco, is being described as a child prodigy and being viewed as the next Brian Lara. The kudos came from his school and excited residents of Central after the 14-year-old broke Lara’s secondary school cricket record last year and, last week, broke his own record with a phenomenal 404 runs not out. Lara made 168 runs in the Under-14 schools cricket league during his teenage years and Kallicharan broke the record when he made 194 last year. Kallicharan, captain of T&T’s Under-15 national team, was playing for his school
Vishnu Boys Hindu College in the Powergen Secondary Schools Cricket League’s Under-14 quarterfinal playoff at Esmeralda Recreation Ground, Cunupia on Monday when he broke his own record with 404 runs. His team was playing against Valencia High.
He is about five foot, four inches in height and about 130 pounds and is in Form II. Manager of the Vishnu Boys Hindu College team, Rajesh Persad, also dean at the school, said , “What was more amazing was that he hit 31 sixes and 44 fours. “And it was not a small ground. The kind of shots he was making and with such power. These child prodigies come along once in a while. I can just imagine what he will do in a few years.” Kallicharan told the Guardian when he broke Lara’s school record last year, he “felt something” but last week’s win was no big deal for him.
He said he began playing cricket at age nine and wants to reach “the furthest,” playing international cricket. He trains hard—more than two or three times a week and many times with older men.
Asked about the source of his astonishing energy, he said he had no special diet but his dad, David Kallicharan, said he was disciplined with his eating habits. “If he eats KFC this week, he will not eat it for a month. He eats a lot of vegetables. We are Hindus and fast for half of the year.” Vishnu Boys Hindu College principal, Ranjeet Bhagaloo, could not contain his excitement as he spoke proudly of Kallicharan.
“He made 404 runs in only 26 overs. This is unheard of in the Caribbean and probably the world. “Some would say he’s a beast in cricket. I would prefer the adjective phenomenal.”
