'Trying to do better' – How a dialogue from Spider-Man movie became India U-19 wicketkeeper Harvansh's mantra

Time of India

a day ago

Harvansh Singh scored 103 off 52 balls against England's U19 team. (Instagram)
Harvansh Singh Pangalia's Instagram bio reads - "Trying to do better."
A self-confessed Marvel fan, Harvansh takes inspiration from Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 2, a 2004 movie where
Peter Parker
first meets the brilliant Otto Octavius.
The scientist says, "You're Dr. Connor's student. He tells me you're brilliant. He also tells me you're lazy." Peter's response is as simple as it is necessary: 'Trying to do better.
'
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"There's something about that scene, that dialogue. Then they repeated the same dialogue 20 years later in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' The answer gives me goosebumps," Harvansh told TimesofIndia.com from Hove.
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In the practice match against Young Lions Invitational XI, the 18-year-old showcased his explosive batting prowess with a whirlwind century. Walking in at 251/7, he smashed a rapid 100 off just 52 balls, including nine sixes, propelling India to a massive total of 442/9.
In the last 24 hours, Harvansh's friends and family have shared a number of reels and memes featuring him, in which he has been touted as India's next batting sensation.
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His videos of six-hitting are all over social media feeds.
The teenager still doesn't know how he managed to play such a jaw-dropping knock.
Aap keh sakte ho ki maata aa gayi
Harvansh Singh
"I was struggling. The first five balls I faced, I was all at sea, failing to connect a single one. I was batting on 13 off 23 balls. I was just not able to find the gaps, and I was getting frustrated. But then something happened. Something snapped, aap keh sakte ho ki maata aa gayi (you could say I was possessed!)," Harvansh laughed.
Harvansh hails from Gandhidham, a small town in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch. Growing up, he saw his father, Damandeep Singh, and uncle, Kunwarajeet Singh, who played cricket in their town, and interestingly, both of them were wicketkeepers. Now, his family, including his father, is settled in Canada, while Harvansh stayed back in Gandhidham with his mother. Harvansh's father moved to Canada in 2017 and is a truck driver.
A couple of years ago, Harvansh visited his father in Brampton. The idea was to spend some quality time with him, but he hardly got to because of his work shifts.
India U-19 cricketer Harvansh Singh (middle) stays in India, with his mother, while his father works in Canada. (Instagram)
"He gets up early at 2:30am as his shifts start at 4am; then he comes back in the evening. We hardly got time to spend with him," he said.
"Whenever I step out to bat, I see the faces of my mother and father. One lives in Gandhidham, while the other is in Brampton. I feel so bad for my mother.
She stayed back so that I could live my dream. They have sacrificed so much for me," Harvansh added.
Harvansh has promised his father that one day he will bring him back to India. Damandeep shares the confidence in believing that his son will play for India, but like any desi father, he is trying to save money for his son's future if cricket doesn't work out.
But little does Damandeep know about his son's mentality. He is determined to reunite his parents, and he feels nothing is going to come in his way.
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"I admire
Yuvraj Singh
. I adore his mentality about how he won the World Cup for the country while battling cancer," said Harvansh.
"The sportsperson I liked the most is the late Kobe Bryant. His Mamba Mentality. No athlete can match his work ethic. He used to train for six to eight hours, which is so inspiring," he added.
Harvansh feels that after reaching a certain level, it is not the skillset that helps an athlete but their mentality and self-belief.
He vows to play Test cricket for India, and Virat Kohli's post-match interview after winning the IPL for RCB in Ahmedabad has a key role to play in it. Virat Kohli had said one can only earn respect by playing Test cricket.
"Test ka naam test hai because it tests your character. I love playing four-day cricket. That's the ultimate cricket," he said.
India U-19 cricketer Harvansh Singh during his visit to Canada to meet his father. (Instagram)
Harvansh's teammates Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre have already played in the IPL and have lucrative deals.
Harvansh takes inspiration from the duo, but he is more focused on his own game.
"They are my friends; Ayush is my best mate in the team. I am happy for them. They do inspire all of us, but everyone has a different path."
"Mera bhi time aayega (My time will come as well)," he said.
India U19 will take on England U19 in the first Youth ODI at Hove on Friday.
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