(January 12, 2026) At 21, Hyderabad’s Aman Rao Perala found his cricketing future taking shape not just by form or fitness, but by a citizenship decision he could no longer postpone. Born in Wisconsin and an American citizen by birth, he spent much of the past year waiting for confirmation of Indian citizenship after a revised BCCI rule made an Indian passport mandatory for domestic cricket. The process dragged on for nearly twelve months, threatening to wipe out an entire white-ball season just as his career was beginning to find momentum. “It was a nervous wait,” Aman admitted later, fully aware that something as procedural as documentation could undo years of preparation. The clearance finally came just two days before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which began in November 2025, arriving at the last possible moment.
For his family, the delay prompted difficult conversations. His father suggested that Aman consider returning to the United States, where his elder brother is settled and where cricket is steadily expanding. The alternative promised stability and time. Aman chose otherwise. He decided to stay in India and continue chasing the game here, accepting the uncertainty that came with it. The decision nearly cost him the season, but it also marked a turning point, fixing his commitment and, soon after, defining the course of his career.
Roots, rejections, and staying ready
Aman had arrived in India when he was six months old, growing up in Telangana after his father, an IT professional, moved the family back. Cricket entered his life incidentally, tagging along with his elder brother to coaching sessions at St John’s Academy in Hyderabad, a ground steeped in legacy. Coaches noticed his hand-eye coordination early, though confidence came slower. He remembers being scared to open the batting until scoring a century at nine convinced him otherwise.
Age-group cricket brought as much frustration as progress. There were strong Under-16 performances, leadership roles, and stints at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy, but also missed selections and the lost Covid year that erased an Under-19 season. In his final year of eligibility, he missed out again. “Playing for Under-19 India had been my dream,” he said, recalling the disappointment. The response was instinctive rather than dramatic. The day he wasn’t selected, he went straight to practice. His father reminded him that careers don’t hinge on a single door closing, only on readiness when another opens.
A domestic reset that led to Rajasthan Royals
Although Aman had already made his T20 debut for Hyderabad in December 2024 when residency rules briefly allowed it, his return after receiving Indian citizenship felt, in his words, like “starting again.” This time, there were no exemptions, no grey areas, only a sense that everything now depended on performance. He played all ten matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as an opener, scoring 234 runs at a strike rate above 160, but numbers alone didn’t capture the shift.
On December 12, against Mumbai, Aman dismantled Shardul Thakur in a single over, striking three fours and two sixes to kickstart a chase completed in just 11.5 overs. The unbeaten 52 was televised, clipped, shared, and replayed until it travelled far beyond domestic circles. Unknown to Aman then, one of those watching was Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain and one of the most technically accomplished batters of his generation, now a key decision-maker with Rajasthan Royals. Sangakkara looked beyond the highlight to the method, quietly flagging the young opener. When Aman’s name came up at the IPL auction, Rajasthan Royals were the only franchise to bid, signing him for ₹30 lakh.
View this post on Instagram
From doubt to validation
As recently as October 2025, earlier in the domestic season, Aman was struggling to convert promising starts into big scores. Seeking perspective, he reached out to Tilak Varma, the India batter who had come through the same Hyderabad cricket pathways and understood the pressures of expectation. Varma shared his own experiences with failure, the adjustments he made, and the patience required to ride lean phases. Those conversations, Aman says, were comforting at a moment when doubt lingered.
Aman credits the Covid years for expanding his range, learning to loft shots he once kept on the ground without abandoning his foundation. A self-confessed admirer of Kane Williamson and Sangakkara, he doesn’t try to replicate them, but believes their approach travels across formats. Now, with a domestic surge behind him, an IPL contract secured, and a potential Ranji Trophy debut ahead, the sense is not of arrival but of alignment. The passport decision that nearly derailed his season now reads like quiet foreshadowing. Before the runs came, Aman Rao had already chosen where he belonged. The rest, finally, is catching up.
- Follow Aman Rao Perala on Instagram
ALSO READ: 21-year-old Shafali Verma makes history as the youngest to score half-century in a World Cup final
