A Melbourne-based Indian family was bowled over when they spotted their son’s face plastered on hoardings across the country.
Software professional Atul Khandelwal told SBS Hindi that they were “pleasantly surprised” to find their seven-year-old son's face on campaign material of Cricket Australia’s entry-level program ‘Cricket Blast’.
“Initially we spotted his face on the pamphlets of Cricket Blast or on social media and then to our surprise, we saw his face on these huge hoardings put up at the North Melbourne station,” said Mr Khandelwal. 
Rishaan Khandelwal, a year 2 student at St Kilda Park Primary School was among a group of pupils who were a part of a promotional video shot by Cricket Australia in some schools across Victoria.
Screenshot of Cricket Victoria's post on Facebook featuring Rishaan Khandelwal Source: Supplied
But little did he know that his perky shot in red spectacles and a matching hat and t-shirt would be singled out for the campaign’s posters.
“Ever since we have shared his pictures with our family and friends back in India, we have been flooded by congratulatory messages,” told Mr Khandelwal.
Soniya Khandelwal and Atul Khandelwal posing with their son's hoarding in Melbourne Source: Supplied
When we asked his parents if they see their son as the next Dhoni in the making, they were quick to dismiss the conjecture.
“It’s too early to predict whether he’d continue to play or pursue it professionally. For instance, right now, besides cricket, technology really interests him. He is learning basic coding at school and loves it,” said his father.
The Cricket Blast program which was launched in July earlier this year has been designed for young children to build game skills at an early age through fun-based activities.
