Ajayveer Hundal (Photos by ICC and Special Arrangements)

NEW DELHI: By the time the sun dipped behind the concrete skyline of Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday evening, a 20-year-old in Canada colours stood out. The net session was almost done, and batters were packing their kit bags.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!A baby-faced Ajayveer Hundal, with his spectacles on, was lost in his thoughts, somewhat soaking in the quiet hum of a stadium he had grown up hearing about but never thought he would walk into as a player.

Over the ages, “love at first sight” has been romanticised in poetry, cinema, and folklore. Sport, however, has a way of springing its own surprises. Hundal’s first sporting love, after all, wasn’t cricket. It was ice hockey.“I used to play ice hockey,” he told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive chat on the sidelines of Canada’s net session.“In our school, it’s the biggest thing that you grow up with. Our city has a hockey team, Vancouver Canucks, with a huge fan following. So I just grew up watching hockey.”So, when did cricket enter Ajayveer’s life?Cricket arrived later.The 2019 World Cup, as far as he can recall, was the turning point.“I used to watch cricket a lot with my uncle. That [2019 World Cup] was really the peak time for me when I started watching cricket. And then in 2019-20, I started playing properly,” he said with a smile.

Ajayveer Hundal (Special Arrangements)

Born in Canada to Indian parents, Hundal decided during the pandemic that cricket was more than a hobby. And once he picked it up, he wanted to chase it seriously.The decision took him across continents, back and forth between Canada and what he calls “the Mecca of Cricket”, India, particularly Delhi, where his family has roots.“My father’s side was in the military, so they moved to Delhi quite a bit ago. My dad’s mama ji (maternal uncle) and everyone live in Greater Kailash. My bua ji (aunt) lives in Gagan Vihar,” he continued.“So yeah, it’s great to see this stadium that I heard of for so long. And being able to just be in it as a player is a great feeling.”It was his first time inside the stadium.“Inside the stadium, yes, first time,” he said. “People wouldn’t have expected it when I was coming here training that I would get the chance to play in a World Cup here. But yeah, definitely a great feeling.”Hundal has been to India three or four times just to train, as he admitted, “Coming to India, the biggest thing is you see the exposure, you see the level of talent everyone has. It really pushes you. It forces you to push yourself and adapt to the conditions here, because everyone here is so good.”That environment shaped his transition from a hockey-playing teenager to a pace-bowling all-rounder.“With the way the game’s evolving and the importance people are giving to all-rounders, I thought it’s a skill I should pick up,” he added. “And yeah, it’s doing me well so far.”An Indian mentor played the part too, with the 20-year-old finding Sarbjeet Singh, a former India U-19 player, as someone who helped him understand the game beyond technique.“Learning about the highs and lows of the game from him was really special. That really made me determined to get to this level and experience the highs that he did,” he revealed.As one of the youngest in this T20 World Cup, he is aware of the privilege and the pressure.“It’s a great experience for associate players. Obviously, India being the Mecca of cricket, it’s great to see the facilities and the competition here,” he further stated. “We’re really enjoying it, adapting to the conditions.”From frozen rinks in Vancouver to dusty nets in Delhi, from watching the 2019 World Cup on TV to being part of the 2026 edition, Hundal’s path is a lively reminder that cricket’s geography is expanding, and its romances are often unexpected.“It’s a great feeling,” he repeated, softly, as if trying to convince himself that it’s real.