Flamboyant double centurion Aman Rao’s moment under the spotlight

The surge in popularity of T20 cricket over the last decade-and-a-half is often labelled as the menace that is adversely affecting the techniques of batters coming up through the ranks. But very often, the format’s influence gives rise to willow-wielders that embody its sanguine aspects—immense self-belief and fearlessness. Hyderabad’s Aman Rao is one such example.

The 21-year-old batter seized his moment on the big stage, scoring an unbeaten double hundred for his State against Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025.

What was most striking about the young opener’s innings was its combative nature. Playing just his third senior 50-over game, Aman had to grind through the middle overs against spinners on a dry track which was gripping a touch. The first half of his double ton involved a self-proclaimed ‘rough’ period where he struggled to rotate strike. Once he touched the three-figure mark, there was a marked difference in his modus operandi. His second hundred runs came off just 46 deliveries and included a calculated assault against a Bengal pace attack, including Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar.

“While walking in, my plan was to try to play 40 overs. Rahul bhai [Rahul Singh Gahlaut] was scoring from one end. So, I didn’t have that pressure even though I wasn’t scoring in the PowerPlay,” the batter told Sportstar.

“When I was playing on 60-70, Tilak bhai [Tilak Varma] was telling me to go for it if it was there [to be hit] and not be in a double-mind. Even though I was playing a lot of dots, he was telling, ‘Stay on the wicket, you’ll get it later’. Him talking to me made it easier for me,” he recounted.

Compelling swansong

Aman had made his Hyderabad debut in the team’s last match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024/25 campaign, a dead rubber against Mizoram. An unbeaten 67 off 42 balls helped his side romp home by ten wickets. Despite his domestic Under-23 campaign not going well with the bat, he was picked to open the following season as well. The 21-year-old had a breakout tournament at the top of the order, aggregating 234 runs in 10 matches at an impressive strike rate of 163.63, helping Hyderabad qualify for the Super League stage.

Aman’s moment under the spotlight came during the game against defending champion Mumbai. Chasing a moderate 131-run target, Aman laid into Shardul Thakur in the first over of the chase, collecting 24 runs. Three wristy flicks through the onside, including two that cleared the fence over deep-midwicket, and a firm backfoot punch through cover proved that the young opener has been blessed with the gift of timing. His 29-ball 52 helped the side chase the target down within the 12th over.

“My approach was good throughout the tournament. I showed good intent. Maybe I could have converted the starts into 30s and then into 60s. The turning point was the Mumbai game. That day I wasn’t thinking too much. If you think about all the Indian players Mumbai had, you won’t be in the game. I was just looking at the ball,” he said.

The game against Mumbai indeed turned out to be a ‘turning point’. Four days later, he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 auction at his base price of INR 30 lakh. “I got messages from everyone in the team. I spoke to Vikram Rathour sir. Kumar Sangakkara is a legend in international cricket. There will be a lot to learn from him, and I am excited for that,” the Hyderabad batter said.

Making the adjustment

Since he first picked up a cricket bat as a six-year-old, following the lead of his elder brother Akash, who had enrolled himself in a cricket academy, Aman has been synonymous with playing an attacking brand of cricket. “It is just very natural to me. Everyone thinks I am too aggressive, but in my mind, this is how I play. I don’t try anything. My coach also told me to continue the way I play, but he asked me to avoid rash shots,” Aman said.

He had a conversation with his childhood coach from Hyderabad, Sharadh Mudiraj, after failing to convert starts in his first two games of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. “He was telling me not to leave it if I got a start. This is not T20, it is a bigger format. Boundaries are not the only option. So, I was trying to take a lot more singles,” the batter said.

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The opener says he has realised that the 50-over format should be approached like a red-ball game, rather than an extension of the T20 format. “I made the mistake of playing an unnecessary shot, which is like a T20 shot, in my first game when I was nearing 40. In the 20-over game, even if the ball is not there, you have to convert it somehow. You can’t respect every good ball. 50-over allows you a lot more time,” he explained.

Aman’s next ambition is to develop into an all-format batter. Despite his fondness towards the shorter formats, he says he wants to prove he can play against the red ball too. “There are places I can improve on in red-ball cricket. I have to balance between being aggressive and taking my time. There will be periods where there will be no runs when there is movement or reverse swing. I shouldn’t take that pressure,” the opener said.

The all-format dream might take some time to come to fruition, but Tuesday’s knock at the Niranjan Shah Stadium has already launched Aman deep into the domestic limelight. After each of his two hundreds scored, he unfastened his helmet and displayed a signature celebration—interlocking his two hands together in front of his face, resembling a mask, signifying ‘no one knew him before’. The 21-year-old’s historic feat served yet another reminder of what defines the next-gen—audacity, conviction, and, to top it off, some flamboyance.

Published on Jan 07, 2026