Follow UsUsually, you see a lot of Indian cricketers settling abroad for greener pastures.
But KV Aneesh’s story is quite different. As a four-month-old toddler, Aneesh and his parents moved to Dubai seeking greener pastures, where he trained under Shahzad Altaf at the Young Talents Cricket Academy (YTCA).
When he was 13, Mudassar Nazar, his coach at the ICC Academy, decided that someone of Aneesh’s calibre had no business in Dubai trying his hand at cricket.
"Give this boy a chance," Nazar told Aneesh's parents in Dubai, a moment that changed the youngster's life forever.
After spending 13 years in what he considered his second home, Aneesh faced a major decision: was he ready to dedicate his life to cricket? When he made the affirmative choice, his family wasted no time finding a way to return to Bengaluru so he could pursue the sport more seriously.
“At the time, you're only 13 years old, you don't realise the sacrifices your parents have to make for you to pursue your career in India,” Aneesh recalled in a Cricket.com exclusive.
“I wanted to play cricket, whether it was in India, the UK, or Australia. The only thing I loved doing was playing cricket. My father had immense trust in me. I did get a scholarship from a school called Rugby School back then in Dubai. So there was an option whether to shift to the UK or India.”
“I said, ‘I want to go to India’, and he had full faith in me, so that’s how the journey began.”
Aneesh's fondness for cricket was nurtured in Bengaluru, a city his family had deep ties to. He grew particularly close to his grandfather's friend, Anantharamu, who spent countless hours watching cricket with him and helped him find his first bat, fostering his early passion for the sport.
During his regular summer visits, Aneesh's favourite activity was playing cricket, inspired by watching his cousin, Amogh, who was two years older than him. Amogh’s drive to cricket coaching sowed the seed of cricket in the 7-year-old Aneesh, who was soon enrolled in a coaching program at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC).
After his family's permanent move, Aneesh's mother, Anuradha Vasudevan, became his biggest supporter, making significant sacrifices to ensure he had every opportunity to succeed. She gave up her life in Dubai and dedicated herself to his training, from waking up early to cook for him to travelling to practice sessions with him, for which he’s eternally grateful.
Aneesh flourished under the guidance of mentors Sudhindra Shinde and Deepak Chougle. He further honed his skills under Yere Goud’s tutelage
“Shinde Sir has been with me throughout; he’s my backbone and possibly my biggest support system in cricket. I've been lucky to have Yere Sir also, who's seen me right from Under-16 till the senior team. I think that's a blessing for me to have these three people influence my career throughout the age group,” the youngster said.
“He's done tremendous things in his career. To have someone like him looking over me throughout my age-group cricket is a blessing.”
During the 2024 edition of the CK Nayudu Trophy, Aneesh’s bond with Goud became much stronger. “He's a simple coach. He knows what to say to whom. I feel that's his greatest strength. If he feels that you have things sorted, he lets you do it your way. Knowing what to say to a player is the art of coaching.”
Three games into the CK Nayudu Trophy, Aneesh's performance was already turning heads. In those three games, the youngster scored 131, 119, 129 and 101, including two centuries against Jammu and Kashmir. During that match, he received a call from Jayasoorya Abhiram, Karnataka's then-Chief selector.
Two days after his last appearance against Jammu and Kashmir, Aneesh made his first-class debut for Karnataka on January 26, 2024, against Tripura. The match didn't go his way—he scored 2 and 1—but the selectors' faith in him paid off. He improved his scores with 34 and 27 against Railways and 40 and 34 against a strong Vidarbha side.
Did the pressure of playing for Karnataka weigh on his shoulders?
“Look, in professional sport, pressure comes along with the job. If you look at it as pressure, then it mounts upon you. Every game you go out, it is an opportunity for you to win the game for whatever team you play. Playing for Karnataka is something which I consider very lucky. It is a team with a rich tradition and history.
“So whether it's a CK Nayudu game or a Ranji Trophy game, it didn't make much of a difference. Looking to win every game was my responsibility,” Karnataka’s No.3 added.
He returned to finish the job for Karnataka in the CK Nayudu Trophy, with a century and a double-century in the semi-final and final against Vidarbha and a strong Uttar Pradesh side to complete the tournament with 922 runs. But more importantly, it helped Karnataka lift their first-ever CK Nayudu Trophy.
“It was my duty to ensure that whatever game I played, I looked to win the match for the team, whatever the situation at hand. I was lucky enough to be part of a team which won the first-ever CK Nayudu trophy for Karnataka in its rich history,” he said.
During the 2024/25 season, Aneesh got a proper taste of Karnataka’s cricketing culture. He was an important part of the team that lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy, besting Vidarbha in the final. He knew what the ‘winning culture’ meant.
“I think winning trophies has been almost a habit throughout the years. I think the cricketers Karnataka have produced are legends of the game. I feel very, very proud to play for Karnataka,” Aneesh said.
Before the tournament, there were several doubts over whether the Karnataka team, so-called in ‘transition’, could pull off a white-ball trophy against some dominant forces in India’s domestic cricket.
“Being able to get our hands on the trophy as a young team, going through what people call transition, but for a Karnataka team, there is no transition.
“We're all expected to go out and play a certain brand of cricket and lift trophies. It's a habit that has been bestowed upon us. It's a responsibility that we've got to carry forward as well. This is just the beginning as far as this Karnataka team is concerned. I think we're going to go on to lift many, many more trophies,” he said.
Aneesh had a stellar Vijay Hazare Trophy, contributing significantly to Karnataka's success with 385 runs, averaging 48.13, and striking four fifties at crucial junctures. This included a 93 against Saurashtra in a must-win game.
During the tournament, the 24-year-old spent a lot of time in the middle with Mayank Agarwal, chatting about cricket and the small intricacies of his game. At the end of the competition, Agarwal, seeing the youngster’s growth, called him someone who ‘belonged at this level’.
“Receiving compliments from my first Ranji Trophy captain and someone who's done amazing things for Karnataka cricket, who's gone on to play Test match cricket and done amazing things for India as well, is quite good,” Aneesh said.
“I got to interact with Mayank during my time with Bengaluru Blasters (2022), when I was about 19-20. You're getting a work ethic of someone who belongs to that Test cricket level. A relentless work ethic. He's always at the nets, always trying to improve.
“I was lucky enough to share a dressing room with the likes of Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, and Manish Pandey, learning about the game. They were willing to take time off to give some valuable input to the youngsters.
“As far as this year’s Vijay Hazare is concerned, I got to learn a lot from Mayank, and more so, watching him bat from the non-striker’s end.”
Karnataka's success was no fluke. It was a well-oiled machine that benefited from an influx of youngsters who had already tasted victory. Players like Aneesh KV, Smaran Ravichandran, Nikin Jose, and KL Shrijith were all part of the same cricketing circles.
"Winning the CK Nayudu Trophy a year before the Vijay Hazare Trophy played a massive role in our success," Aneesh recalled.
"The way Mayank led, the way Yere Sir handled his troops, and how the entire support staff conducted every training session with professionalism—you knew the team was headed for a trophy. Winning trophies is a habit; once you taste that glory, you just want to keep doing it again and again."
Despite his success elsewhere, T20 remains the one area of Aneesh's game that needs significant improvement. The right-hander, who has looked solid in both 50-over and red-ball cricket, is yet to crack the shortest format.
The numbers support this, with 546 runs in the Maharaja T20 Trophy, an average of just 23.74, and a strike rate of 113. While his eyes are on the trophy, the Mangaluru Dragons player revealed he has been working hard in the offseason to improve his power game.
“Let's hope I get a 400 or 500-run season,” he chuckled.
“I've worked a lot on my T20 game, especially because I felt that's the format I wanted to emphasise on when I had the time. I'm happy with my preparation. I'm confident going into this tournament.”
A look around Aneesh’s room reveals a large whiteboard with a detailed schedule for the offseason, as if he were preparing for a board examination. From diet to workout routines, you could make out that, in the upcoming season, we will see a different version of Aneesh.
"I've worked a lot on my technique and physical fitness this offseason. I feel I'm much fitter and more mentally ready to take on the challenges ahead. My trainer at Invictus Performance Lab, Varun Shetty, has also played a massive role. I'm very confident going into this tournament, and hopefully, we can lift the trophy,” the youngster said.
For Aneesh, cricket may have come naturally, but his journey to the top of a talent-filled Karnataka side was anything but easy. At just 24, he's worked his way up the ladder, and now he knows the real challenge begins: staying there.