Dubai: Aniket Verma once slept with a brand-new pair of shoes — because, for the first time in his life, he owned something that felt like a dream..The Sunrisers Hyderabad batter, now making waves in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, grew up playing in torn shoes, with big dreams but little means. His journey, shaped by struggles and sacrifice, found inspiration in Hardik Pandya — a cricketer who once survived on Maggi noodles for three years before making it big..Now, Aniket is walking the same path, and with a stunning 74-run knock in his debut season, he is proving that dreams, no matter how distant, are worth chasing..A story that changed everything.The 23-year-old from Uttar Pradesh had always been passionate about cricket, but it was Hardik Pandya’s struggles that gave him the extra push..“Aniket must have been 14 back then. I read it in a newspaper and told him the story of Hardik surviving on Maggi during our 13km journey to his academy,” Aniket’s uncle, Amit Verma, told the Times of India. “That day, I saw the spirit, the passion, and the hunger in him. He wanted to make it big. Once we reached the stadium, he touched my feet and said, ‘I complain about trivial things.’ I laughed, but he was serious.”.Sacrifices that paved the way.Amit also recalled a moment when he realised just how much Aniket’s dream meant to him..“My first job was at an automobile showroom. My salary was Rs3,000. He was playing with torn shoes. I immediately took him to the shop and bought him sports shoes that cost Rs1,200. I had never worn something that expensive in my life, but for him, I would have done anything. He slept with his new shoes that day,” Amit said..A dream that goes beyond the IPL.Aniket’s talent and perseverance paid off when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for Rs3 million in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. The middle order batter has scored 117 runs in three matches. Aniket’s knock against Delhi came when Hyderabad had collapsed to 25 for three, eventually falling as the eighth wicket. .“Aniket wasn’t well known, but he was fantastic coming into the tournament and gave us half a chance,” said SRH skipper Pat Cummins..Now, with his first big knock under his belt, his goals go beyond just playing in the IPL — he wants to learn from the best..“I want to meet Hardik Pandya. I will talk to him about fitness, bat flow, and his hitting ability. Apart from him, I would like to learn the on-the-rise flick shot from Kohli, the pull shot from Rohit, and the flick shot from Pant. Also, I will talk to Dhoni about patience and common sense. I would like to ask Bumrah how he reads batsmen — he is an expert in this art,” Aniket told Dainik Bhaskar..From torn shoes to IPL millions, Aniket’s journey is proof that inspiration, when backed by determination, can turn even the toughest struggles into success stories.