Sharma Karma

By James Eggleton

The cricketing journey of Naavya Sharma (OH) 2024 can be described in one word: passion. From playing in the garden as a child to playing for England U19s, his enjoyment of the game underpins an already remarkable career. The road to the international stage is not solely a product of his remarkable talent, but one founded on resilience, motivation, and humility.

The summer of 2024 will go down in School records as the ‘Naavya Sharma Show’: 37 wickets, smashing the previous School record of 35; three 5-wicket hauls; and four fifties with the bat. The highlight of the year was a scintillating spell of fast bowling, with thunderous 80mph rockets tearing up the RGS Guildford First XI top order and stunning figures: 8 wickets for 15 runs.

However, he has also been making ripples in the professional cricketing community. Part of the Middlesex EPG programme, Sharma had his breakthrough season last year playing six County Championship Second XI games, earning him a professional contract and selection for the England U19 squad in their test series against Sri Lanka.

In a candid conversation with HSC co-editor James Eggleton, Naavya Sharma OH (2024) shares his journey to professional cricket and opens up about the psychological challenges he faces in the sport.

“I was watching the Euros with my friends when I got a call from Michael Yardy [England U19 selector], asking ‘can you come down to training at Wormsley tomorrow at 11am? We have picked you for the England U19 test series.’ I was buzzing, it really sunk in the next day – I am playing for England.”

A couple of days later, he was to get his golden opportunity, “I got told the morning of the day that I was going to play the first test. I got my cap presented by Andrew Flintoff; it was a fantastic moment.” Reflecting on the first test match, he admitted that he “bowled well, but did not quite get the fruits I wanted.” But, as ever, Mother Cricket repaid her debt to Sharma in the second test, “I managed to get my 5fer, which was really the icing on the cake for the season, it was a truly amazing feeling; not only the 5fer but the whole experience: playing for my country, contributing to a series win.”

Sharma was brought up on cricket in the back garden, the love of the game pervades his family, “Mum and Dad love cricket, I was always playing with them from the age of five.” At eight he joined the borough system, “I enjoyed my time in the Middlesex setup but was released at under-10s.” Sharma could have given up on his dream of professional cricket; but, there was one thing that made him keep coming back: “when I was dropped from Middlesex, it was never the goal just to get back in, I was more focused on just playing for fun. I joined Berkshire, this helped my cricket immensely; I loved my time there.”

Aged 15, Sharma’s goal of professional cricket was as alive as ever, however, he knew that to make a career out of cricket, he would have to move to a first-class county. He rejoined Middlesex Academy, which coincided with a pivotal moment in his career.

“I have had some breakthrough years, I feel like my U15 summer was one of those.”

That year, he not only impressed for county and club, but also made great contributions to Hampton’s U15A team. His efforts would not go unnoticed, earning him a call-up to the School’s First XI squad for winter training, and making his debut the following summer.

So, what had gone so well for Sharma that year? He puts it down to tenacity. “I have always had quite consistent progression over the years, but I found that the opportunities you get in specific years might suggest that you have improved particularly in one year, but it’s more about working hard, especially in the winter, that will give you the best chance of success.” There was no secret formula; his success had been born out of hard work.

It was his hundred versus Tiffin that validated everyone’s belief in him, and it would be the start of a Hampton First XI career for the records. “That moment was one of the highlights, certainly for batting and my 8fer against RGS was definitely my favourite bowling performance.” His time in the Hampton First XI, under the guidance of Mr Banerjee, Mr Parrish, and Mr Harrison was a crucial stepping stone “All the coaches at Hampton have helped me hugely, but especially those in the First XI. They were always willing to give up their time if you wanted to talk about something technical, tactical, or even mental.”

Next came the biggest moment of his career to date: his England U19 call-up and debut in the first match of the Sri Lanka series. It fell to Sharma, on debut, to bowl the first ball of the series…

“You know the magnitude of the situation, you are playing for England, you are bowling the first over. In order to do well, you need to detach yourself from the moment, when you’re off the pitch you can soak it in and enjoy it. For me, it was just thinking there are only 11 guys opposite me who I’ve got to play against, don’t think about the outcome, otherwise you cannot deliver; there is just too much pressure.”

“Sometimes it’s difficult to detach yourself, in big moments, you know what’s on the line. Sometimes I struggle and the moment gets to me; it’s something that I don’t always do well, but when I have, it’s worked.” After the series, there was no doubt that Sharma had managed to get the results. A 5fer in his second test match was an extraordinary accomplishment – he’d shown he belonged on this stage.

But, cricket is a team sport, as much as it can often feel very individual. “It feels great if you do your best and contribute to the team, but you always want the team to win above all else; I am always playing for fun, I get the most enjoyment from a team victory. Your own performance feels meaningless if the team loses, but you always want to contribute.”

However, to overlook the significance of the individual aspects of cricket would be naïve. The question is, what is the best way to measure your performance? “You don’t want to measure your success on the outcomes but focus more on the processes: was I bowling quickly and accurately? At a high level, especially in T20s as a bowler, it doesn’t matter whether you are having a good day, if a batter is also having a good day, you will be smashed around the park.”

Naavya’s EPG programmes have not only helped him develop this mentality but also changed his approach to training: “When you approach training you really must know what you want to get out of it. If you don’t have a purpose, you are not getting much out, only more practise. I think everyone can learn from this, my advice is to go into training with a purpose and a goal.”I am sure all keen athletes want the secrets; how can you perform consistently under pressure? His performances show incredible mental toughness and fortitude, but it is an area he wants to improve. “I think cricket is the toughest game in the world mentally; when you are performing it’s fantastic – you’re getting runs and getting wickets at a test match. But if you are struggling over a few games, even if your processes are good. You start doubting yourself and lack confidence.”

“When I am in bad form I try to avoid overcomplicating it, try to stick to the processes and take each game individually. Also I like to return my focus on to the team and how we can win instead of worrying over my own individual performance.””I don’t think anyone is born with this mindset. We always discuss the best way to remain in this focused mindset or return to it, we use the acronym, RRP: review, reset, prepare. Especially with the long nature of cricket it is impossible to stay focused for the whole period, so this ‘unfocus and refocus’ system is crucial.”RRP, processes, execution, results, success, failure; these are all ‘buzz’ words in sport, but what do they actually mean? For some, they manifest in simple plans, techniques, or repeatable actions on the field. For others, it’s a bit more extreme; whether it’s a homemade morning coffee for Adam Zampa, a pre-game Red Bull for Jamie Vardy, or a sprint onto the field by Joe Root. It seems most elite athletes have superstitions and idiosyncratic methods to keep them grounded in the moment.

Sharma would fail to make the list for crazy superstitions, but he does believe in the impact of a repeatable action totally under your influence in a sport which is so often not. “I am not massively superstitious; I do have some idiosyncrasies. When I walk back to my mark after bowling, I feel really uncomfortable catching the ball before the end of my mark, so I wait. I think in terms of psychology there is lots of support for superstitions.”

Sharma’s career has not always been plain sailing, and he has had to make a lot of sacrifices, “I have definitely had to sacrifice my social life to a certain extent, although in the moment you think you are missing out on fun, I remind myself why I am making this sacrifice, it’s because I love cricket and it is really fun. You cannot do everything.”

Sharma’s success would not have come without the dedication and sacrifice of his parents, “whatever I say about my parents, even driving across the country is the smallest, most superficial part. It’s a deeper thing. They are both really passionate about cricket, they have very good knowledge of the game, so they are always there to support me.”Sharma’s cricketing career has left him with many life skills and lessons. His humility, dedication, and resilience have helped him achieve success off the field. Sharma is studying Maths at Warwick University after achieving an astonishing 4 A*s at A Level.

At the time of writing, he had already made plans for the off season. “Now, I am just trying to stay fit and go to the gym. I have an England U19 tour to South Africa for three weeks just before Christmas. I’m looking forward to my first taste of a professional training environment at Middlesex, I will definitely be pushing for the Middlesex First team next summer.”

Unfortunately, injury in South Africa prevented Sharma from playing in the youth ODIs and Test matches against the nation. However, this summer, Sharma bounced back from his injury to make his Middlesex First XI debut in their Rothesay County Championship fixture against Leicestershire at Lord’s in May achieving two wickets in the match – a phenomenal debut performance.