'Picture abhi baaki hain': U19 Asia Cup title evades India — but Aaron George's show yet to unfold

"What you saw at the Asia Cup was just the trailer,” says Biju Nair, the former Services coach, who shaped Aaron George since his early teens. “Picture abhi baaki hain," he insists.It captures the essence of Aaron. What the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai last week revealed was control, maturity and restraint. What it concealed — by design — was his range, power and flair.

The full film, Nair insists, is yet to unfold.The teenager though, has never been one for excessive words. He prefers to let his bat do the talking.“I know what works best for me,” Aaron says. External factors like crowd, noise, occasion, and opposition stay outside his bubble.In the just-concluded U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, Aaron, the captain, lived up to his hype, scoring two impactful knocks — an 88-ball 85 against Pakistan in the league game. It became the spine of the chase: not flashy, but chose his response and owned the ball-versus-bat battle. This was followed by a composed 58 against Sri Lanka. Everything, however, unravelled in the final against Pakistan."Everyone had an off day," he rued.

Aaron also chose to play down the altercations between the Indian and Pakistani players during the summit clash.Against Pakistan, there was confidence without bravado. It was leadership through composure, even if it showed only a slice of his true attacking range.Aaron grew up in Hyderabad, but his roots run deep in Kerala. His father Easo Varghese hails from Mavelikara, mother Preeti, from Kottayam.A former sub-inspector with the Hyderabad Police, Easo spotted something special when Aaron was just four.

At his in-laws’ place, the boy picked up a plastic bat and instinctively played with a straight bat. No slogging. No wild swings. Just balance, poise.“That’s when I knew,” Easo recalls. “There was something natural there,” he tells TOI.Training began at home. Easo used 50-gram plastic balls and turned the living room into a miniature cricket pitch."The emphasis was unwavering: straight bat, still head, eyes level.

Those early routines laid the foundation for a batter built on efficiency rather than excesses," Easo recollects.A significant turn came when Aaron met B Subhash, an NIS coach and family friend.From 2014 to 2017, Aaron attended the HCA camp free of cost, and was the youngest participant there, holding his own against older boys until the camp shut down. Later, Nair stepped in, adding structure, discipline and tactical depth to his game.“He’s much more than what people have seen,” Nair insists. “He’s a far better striker of the ball than what he showcased at the Asia Cup.”In 2022, the selectors made a bold decision. With an opener’s slot available, they chose not to protect Aaron in age-group cricket but tested him in senior league division matches. He played five games that year and four more in 2023. The learning curve was steep, but it forged resilience.“They wanted to see if he could survive,” Easo says. “He didn’t just survive, he adapted.”That year at the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, Aaron smashed 303 against Bihar, a knock that underlined his burgeoning talent. Later that year, at the BCCI High Performance camp in Vijayawada, he followed it up with a composed 83 against Delhi in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.This year, Aaron wasn’t just part of the Hyderabad U-19 setup, he was leading it.

As an opener, he scored 373 runs in five matches at a striking rate of 145, steering Hyderabad to the Vinoo Mankad title.What stands out is his evolution. Once a classical opener, Aaron has seamlessly adjusted to the No. 3 role while donning the India jersey — repairing and rebuilding when early wickets fell — accelerating when the moment demands.His idols reflect that balance and hunger to expand his game."He admires Virat Kohli’s intensity and AB de Villiers’ philosophy of finding empty spaces and playing with intelligence," Easo adds."AB is a complete package. An all-round sportsman," Aaron adds.Easo understands his son's need for expanding his repertoire. After serving with the Hyderabad Police from 1995 to 2008, Easo transitioned to the corporate world. That journey of discipline, change and persistence shaped the way he raised his son.With the U-19 World Cup approaching, preparation is meticulous — mental conditioning and yellow fever vaccinations. Aaron knows everyone has off days. What matters is the response.The Asia Cup gave a glimpse of his potential. Nair believes the U-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia next month could reveal Aaron's complete package.