By Sahil Kohli

New Delhi [India], March 6 (ANI): Delhi Capitals' young batter Sahil Parakh spoke on learning from the best in his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) season this year, particularly senior Indian veteran KL Rahul and of witnessing legendary Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Indian icon MS Dhoni's 'aura' first hand by playing against him and meeting him.

Parakh, 19, who has represented Maharashtra at all levels from U19 to senior level and even struck a century in just 75 balls in U19 India colours against Australia back in September 2024, will be playing for the Blue and Red franchise in his first IPL season.

His most recent outings saw him register scores of 6 and 18 during his first two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 matches for Maharashtra at the senior level, and the exposure and some possible game time with the Capitals could definitely help the youngster up his game.

Speaking on sharing the dressing room with the likes of KL Rahul, David Miller, Mitchell Starc, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair etc, Parakh said to ANI, 'Very excited to share the dressing room with these players, it would be a huge honour. Whatever I can learn from their batting by witnessing them, whatever points I can get from them, I will try to implement them in my batting.'

As a top-order batter, he is very really interesting in picking KL's brains, who is also a natural top-order batter like him, but over the years has developed a more versatile game, which makes him suitable for middle-order as well as a stabiliser or a hard-hitting finisher.

'I definitely want to interact with him. Let's see, I will meet him after joining the team. Then, whatever it is--if I have any doubts--I will go and ask him,' he added.

Parakh started playing this game at the age of just five, and it was his father who encouraged him to take up the sport. From then on, his love for the game kept on growing. He has played for Maharashtra across U19, U23 and senior levels and has even featured in the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL).

In the four-day cricket Cooch Behar Trophy for U19 players, Parakh scored 264 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of over 131, with one fifty and a best score of 64.

It was during this competition, running from November 2025 to January 2026, that he got to know about his IPL selection. Last year, he also featured in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, the top U19 one-day competition, scoring 113 runs in six innings

In the Maharashtra Premier League last year for champions Eagle Nashik Titans, Parakh emerged as one of its finest players with 202 runs in eight matches at an average of 28.86 and a strike rate of 177.19, with 14 sixes and some quickfire knocks for his side.

'I started playing when I was five years old. My inspiration is my father; I started because of him, and took up this game because of him. After that, my love for the game also grew. Since then, I've been playing for Maharashtra across all age groups. This year, I made my senior debut and also got into the IPL. I am in a learning stage--these are my early days--and I am looking to see how much I can grow from here,' he said.

On his first reaction after being picked by DC for Rs 30 lakhs, Parakh said, 'Our entire Under-19 team was sitting together to watch. We were playing in the Cooch Behar tournament; we came back after the match and were watching the auction in the evening. It was a good feeling to be picked by DC, and now I will see what I can do for the team and how I can help them.'

Parakh's idol is Dhoni, and he is relishing the idea of meeting him and playing against him, just to get the feel of the 'Thala's aura'.

'MS Dhoni is my cricketing idol. I would like to see how he plays, what kind of aura he has. I am excited to meet him,' he signed off. (ANI)