Aman Mokhade's rise from fringes to front row ft. chats with Karun Nair

Aman Mokhade is in the middle of a dream run that has fuelled Vidarbha's stellar showing in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Heading into Thursday's semi-final against Karnataka, his 643 runs from eight innings are second only to Devdutt Padikkal's chart-topping 721 runs.

This surge has been built on continuity that eluded Mokhade through much of 2024-25. With Atharva Taide, Yash Rathod, Karun Nair and Danish Malewar forming a formidable top order, he was consigned to the fringes.

"Last season was probably my toughest phase," Mokhade, 24, tells ESPNcricinfo. "I was scoring heavily in practice games, but because of team combinations and competition, I didn't get consistent chances.

"It was frustrating knowing you're capable, but the opportunities aren't coming. I learnt that impactful innings and match-winning performances matter more than just scoring runs."

Ironically, one of the batters who made it hard for him to break into the XI became his source of motivation. Nair, who played a key role in Vidarbha's run to last season's Vijay Hazare Trophy final as well as their Ranji title win, was someone Mokhade leaned on.

"Competition within the team has always been intense," Mokhade says. "You can never take your place for granted.

"Last season, Karun was with us, and I spoke to him often - over dinners and coffee - about batting and mindset. The one thing he told me that stayed with me was that every batter is different. What works for him might not work for me, and I had to find what suits my game."

Opportunities finally opened up ahead of the ongoing season when Nair returned to Karnataka and Malewar was sidelined with injury.

Mokhade slotted straight into Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy XI and made the most of his chances, piling on 577 runs at an average of 96.16. This placed him among the top five run-scorers in the Elite Division as the season paused for the white-ball leg.

"Earlier, I was scoring a lot of 50s and 60s, and my coaches kept telling me to convert those into big hundreds," he says. "I realised I had to mentally grow and develop areas of my game where I wasn't scoring freely.

"After three or four games, oppositions start figuring out where you score and how to bowl to you. I used to feel bowlers had a better hold on me. So this off-season, I consciously worked on those areas, especially my off-side play. That's helped me convert starts into bigger scores."

Among Mokhade's key influences has been Mumbai-based coach Umesh Patwal. When Patwal has been unavailable, he has also sought out former India opener Wasim Jaffer.

"I've been fortunate to meet good people," Mokhade says. "Umesh sir has been with me since 2016. In Nagpur, most of us practise together, exchange inputs, and that environment helps."

Much of Mokhade's cricket has come alongside academics. "In my family, there are engineers, doctors and lecturers, so sport wasn't a natural path," he says. "My dad allowed me to play cricket alongside my studies."

It wasn't until he captained Vidarbha Under-19 in the 2019-20 Cooch Behar Trophy that cricket began to feel like a viable career. Even then, he stayed true to the commitment he made to his parents, completing his Bachelor's in Commerce and now pursuing a Master's.

"Mostly I just study before my exams now because of cricket," he says with a laugh.

Mokhade is now in his fourth season as a first-class cricketer, having debuted in 2022-23. Initially, he didn't think he belonged, until a chat with then captain Faiz Fazal, who also presented him his first Ranji cap, made him feel at ease.

"He told me I deserved to be there," Mokhade recalls. "That calmed my nerves."

When he was growing up, Umesh Yadav was another inspiration.

"He was a chief guest at an event where I was Player of the Tournament. I'm not sure if he remembers now… it's been nine years.

"But he took me aside and told me not to be satisfied with a hundred, but to go on and make daddy hundreds. Seeing someone from the same region succeed motivated a lot of players."

In terms of goals, Mokhade says fixed-number targets don't work for him.

"During this Vijay Hazare Trophy, I've never thought about how many centuries or runs I needed," he says. "I've just reacted to the ball and focused on what the team needed.

"I remember a game against Hyderabad where I was batting on 80 and hitting the ball really well. Then I started thinking ahead. The very next ball, I got out."

For Mokhade, that clarity of staying present and trusting his process has come after years of waiting. As Vidarbha head into another knockout game, he isn't fussed about milestones. Instead, he prefers to do what he now knows works best: reacting, one ball at a time.