Things are happening for Aman Rao, and he's making things happen too

Aman Rao, 21, was getting anxious as the 2025-26 domestic season neared.

An American citizen by birth, he was waiting on paperwork that would formally confirm his Indian citizenship to be eligible to represent Hyderabad, as per a revised BCCI mandate. The process had already stretched for close to a year, and any further delays risked shutting him out of the of the white-ball leg of the domestic season.

"It was a nervous wait," Rao tells ESPNcricinfo.

As luck would have it, the paperwork came through two days before the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), allowing Rao to be drafted into the Hyderabad squad. He had made his T20 debut in December 2024 (when rules allowed him to play because he was an Indian resident), but his re-entry "felt like starting again".

Rao played all ten games at the SMAT, scoring 234 runs at a strike rate of 163.63 as an opener. The standout knock came on December 12, when he hit a match-winning unbeaten 52 against Mumbai in a televised game. Soon, his takedown of Shardul Thakur went viral. Rao hit Thakur for three fours and two sixes in one over to launch Hyderabad's chase of 132, which they ended up achieving in just 11.5 overs.

Unknown to him, Kumar Sangakkara had watched clips of Rao's hitting and looked up his numbers. He was immediately keen to get Rao to Rajasthan Royals (RR). Luckily for him, when Rao's name came up for bidding, RR were the only team to raise the paddle, and he was signed for INR 30 lakh.

The latest blockbuster in what has already been a memorable season came on Tuesday. Playing in only his third List A match, Rao converted a maiden century into a magnificent unbeaten 200 off 154 balls at the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

On 186 with three balls left in the innings, Rao went 6,2,6 to get to the double. That he achieved the feat against a strong Bengal attack comprising Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed, all India internationals, made it that much more special.

Amid all the euphoria and praise - none bigger than from R Ashwin - Rao is trying to keep things cool.

"With attention and social media, I try not to let it get to my head," he says. "Attention can be there today and gone tomorrow. I try to stay neutral, humble, and not think too much about it. I'm fully aware appreciation today can turn into criticism one day, so I don't dwell on it."

The white-ball leg of the domestic season has given him a career surge like he may not have imagined, but as recently as in October, Rao was frustrated at being unable to get the big scores. He sought out Tilak Varma, the India batter who has also come through the same pathways Rao did.

"Tilak was in Australia with the T20I team, but it was nice of him to give me that time," Rao says. "It was a phase where I wasn't getting runs but doing everything I could. I'd got a 90, but nothing after that. I wanted a different perspective, so I messaged him. He took time out and spoke to me of his experiences with failure, what he did to come out and what I could try. He told me a few things. At that stage, those words were very comforting. So that conversation helped."

Rao returned to India when he was just six months old when his parents decided to shift base to their home country. He would initially accompany his older brother to John Manoj's St John's Academy - famous because its alumni includes VVS Laxman and Mithali Raj. But over time, the coaches were impressed by his hand-eye coordination for someone that young.

"I was actually scared to open the batting initially," he says with a laugh. "But when I scored my first century as a nine-year old, I got that confidence to face the new ball. I've been an opener since."

Rao didn't make waves in junior cricket, but performed well enough to graduate to the next level. "In Under-14s, I didn't do very well," he says. "People said I had potential, but the performances weren't there. In my first year of Under-16s, I did well and scored a double-hundred. I went to the NCA [BCCI's National Cricket Academy] camp after that.

"The following year, I captained the Under-16 team and we reached the semi-finals. Then Covid happened and I lost one year of Under-19 cricket. In my first proper year of Under-19s, the year of the [2020] World Cup batch, I wasn't selected in the one-day squad initially, even though I performed in the league matches.

"I was picked for the multi-day team later, did well there, and went to the NCA again. Unfortunately, there was no Under-19 India tour that year. In my last year of Under-19s, because players aren't considered, I missed out again.

"At that point, I was very disappointed. Playing for Under-19 India had been my dream. Every kid dreams of that. My coaches told me that even if this didn't happen, something bigger might be waiting, and that I should just keep working.

"The day I wasn't selected, I went straight to practice. I didn't take a break. I just trusted the process. My dad also told me it wasn't the end of the world, that more chances would come, and I should be ready to grab them. That mindset helped."

Having overcome the frustration and struggles of someone on the fringes, Rao hopes to make his new lease of life count. For starters, he has already made a mark in white-ball cricket. He now has his sights set on improving and refining his game further leading into the IPL.

"And before that, if I'm lucky, hopefully a Ranji Trophy debut."