Where It All Began - A Boy With a Bat
"There are lives that chase success — and then there are lives that chase meaning. Born in 1983 into one of Chhatarpur's most prestigious Rajput families, Yashpal Singh Parmar grew up surrounded by privilege, but never defined by it. His story has always been one of discipline, curiosity, and quiet strength."
At Daly College, cricket wasn’t an extracurricular activity - it was a culture. A seed planted early. I still remember that 1996 photograph from Mayo College, Ajmer, where I stood as the Junior School Cricket Captain. My blazer was oversized, my understanding of life was small, but the love for the game was enormous.
Those early years shaped everything that came afterward. Every inter-school competition, every match in Ajmer, Hyderabad, and across the country, they weren’t just games; they were my classrooms. Daly College gave me discipline, rhythm, and a sense of belonging to a field that would eventually shape my entire identity.
The Making of a Cricketer - Awards, Lessons & Inspiration
" With each passing year, cricket became more than passion, it became responsibility."
I played wherever cricket took me: Ajmer, Hyderabad, IPSC tournaments, inter-public school meets. And as I grew, the trophies grew with me, Best Fielder, Best All-Rounder, back-to-back awards in the same tournament. These awards look shiny today, but back then, they were simply proof that hard work was worth it.
My biggest inspiration during those years was Ramakant Desai, a man just 5’4”, a fast bowler, fearless and fierce. A short guy who bowled fast. That was enough for me. If he could do it, so could I. Height became irrelevant. Heart became everything.
The First Australia Tour, The Youngest Boy With the Biggest Dream
"In 9th grade, I traveled to Australia for the first time, the youngest boy on the team. Everything felt larger, the grounds, the players, the expectations. But something inside me settled. It felt like I belonged there."
That tour didn’t make me a great player overnight. But it made me hungry. I promised myself I would return stronger.
The Second Australia Tour - A Team Built From Nothing
"By the time I entered 12th standard, the second Australia exchange program was announced."
Except, there was no team.
No selection. No official squad. No structure. Just an opportunity waiting to be seized.
My love for cricket didn’t allow me to let go. So I built a team from scratch, friends who played seriously, casually, or simply wanted to see Australia. I convinced them, “Worst case, we’ll travel. Even if we lose, we’ll roam.”
But deep inside, I wasn’t going to roam. I was going to win.
A day before the match, someone clicked a picture of me sitting inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The stadium was empty, silent, massive. That silence stayed with me. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking of fame or pressure, only of the game, the pitch, and the chance to prove something to myself.
The Airport Remark - The Spark That Lit the Fire
When we arrived at the airport, a former Ranji player and high ranked official looked at our team and laughed, “You guys are so short! How will you play against those tall Australians?
My teammates got offended. I didn’t. I took it as an assignment.
After all, height had never stopped me. I had been a fast bowler all my life despite being one of the shortest on every ground. If Ramakant Desai could do it, so could I.
That remark turned into fuel.
The Match That Became a Memory for Life
We entered the match as a group of boys.We walked out as a team.
Every over felt like a test of belief. Every run felt like defiance. Every catch reminded us why we came.
And when the final moment arrived we won.
The picture taken right after the victory is one of my favorites - laughter, sweat, disbelief, joy. A bunch of boys who weren’t supposed to win, holding a result the world didn’t expect.
Quiet Triumph - The Trophy in My Hands
Later that night, back in our room, someone captured me holding the cup. The room was messy, kits thrown around, bags open, chaos everywhere. Yet that moment was calm.
It was the private side of victory, the exhaustion, the pride, the realization that belief can turn underdogs into champions.
That photo isn’t grand. It’s real. And I value that more.
The Return to India
When we came back, Daly College welcomed us with pride. That year, we also became joint winners at the IPSC Cricket Tournament in Hyderabad. Another picture sits in my memory, the whole official team, trophies lined in front, our journey reflecting in our posture.
These victories weren’t isolated moments. They were the result of years of discipline, years of early mornings, years of relentless love for cricket.
The Captaincy - What I earned
Shortly after returning from Australia, I was appointed the official Captain of the Daly College Cricket Team.
There’s a photo of me shaking hands with the Principal on stage. That moment meant more than any trophy - not because of the title, but because of what it represented:
Actions had spoken. Leadership had been earned quietly. Commitment had been seen.
The Journey Comes Full Circle
Years later, I found myself on stage receiving an award from Mukesh Ambani Ji. The smile on my face in that photograph wasn’t about glamour, it was about gratitude.
From a small boy running around Daly College grounds to standing on a stage receiving national recognition cricket had taken me places life alone never could have.
What Cricket Really Taught Me
Looking back at all these photos, childhood captaincy, trophies, the MCG silence, the Australia win, the cup in my room, the captaincy moment I realise cricket wasn’t just a sport.
Cricket was my teacher. My discipline. My courage. My proof that height doesn’t measure heart. My reminder that leadership isn’t declared it is lived.
I began this journey as a boy with a bat. I continue it as a man shaped by every run, every fall, every rise.
Cricket didn’t just teach me to play. It taught me to become.
