Indian colts are set to begin their U19 World Cup campaign in South Africa but before the tournament began, the young star Arshin Kulkarni had the best day of his life even before the start of the tournament. Kulkarni, who has gained popularity with his performances in junior ODIs and tournaments in the last few months, met legendary Jacques Kallis, one of the best all-rounders ever to play the game and the 18-year-old couldn’t believe his stars one bit.
Kulkarni got his jersey signed by his idol and even touched his feet in a video he shared on his Instagram, which has gone viral now. Kallis, who is currently involved in the SA20 with the Pretoria Capitals, was seen giving blessings to Arshin after being taken by surprise seeing Arshin going down to touch his feet.
In a heartwarming post on Instagram, Kulkarni wrote, “‘The best day of my life’. For the past 12 years you have been the person i looked upon as a perfect cricketer and as a role model, Today was the day when i finally met you every time my parents asked me about my favourite destination, I would say south africa in a hope that i would finally get to meet him i have always been your admirer and you have always been my inspiration ALWAYS AND FOREVER SIR.”
Kulkarni, who was signed by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2024 auction, and will have eyes on him given he is the most popular player of the team. The defending champions India, led by Uday Saharan, will begin their campaign in the tournament on January 20 against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein. India are drawn in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Ireland and the USA.The top three teams from each of the four groups will qualify for Super Six.