Switch Schools SA20 Player Profile – Nikhil Sukraj (St Andrew’s School)
Right-arm leg-spinner Nikhil Sukraj was deadly in the second phase of the Switch Schools SA20, picking up 10 wickets across five games in the second phase to help St Andrew’s School reach The Final Showdown, which starts at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday, 4 March.
Head Coach AJ van Wyk spoke of Sukraj’s cricketing evolution during his high school career with SuperSport Schools Plus: “I saw Nikhil first bowl at Free State trials in his Grade eight year. He was in a different school at the time. He had a lot of potential, and I made a plan to get him over to our side, where he started in his Grade 10 year.
“When he arrived, his fielding and fitness weren’t up to our standards, but with an incredible work ethic, he quickly caught up and is now one of our most reliable fielders.
“He also drastically improved his power-hitting with the bat. He has progressed to a point where he earned himself a spot in last year’s Free State u19 Khaya Majola team, as well.”
Van Wyk also lauded Sukraj’s personality: “He’s also an extremely likeable person, and not just among the cricketers, but the school at large. He’s become a Deputy Head Boy at the school and in the hostel as well.
“He’s also extremely dedicated to his academics. At the end of last year, he was just a few marks shy of earning 100 percent for accounting. He’s one of the pillars of our side. If he’s not around, it feels like the team is missing something.”
Sukraj, reflecting the diligent personality to which Van Wyk referred, told SuperSport Schools Plus he has been working hard to develop his all-round game: “There’s always something to improve and work on, as you can never stop growing and learning, especially in the game of cricket.
If there’s a specific part of my game that I’d like to work on, it would be my batting. I want to develop my batting and be able to contribute more regularly to the team when called upon.”
When asked about his ambitions for the next five years, the Free State u19 Khaya Majola Week spinner spoke of both his short-term and long-term goals: “My immediate goal is to help Saint Andrew’s win the Switch Schools SA20 title. A longer-term goal would be to play at the CSA Cubs Week in January 2027.
“Other than that, I try not to think too far ahead, and I take every day as an opportunity to improve both as a cricketer and as a person.
“As for my personal life, I want to keep growing as a leader and continue staying true to my values.
“I’d also like to study accounting after school and go into the chartered accounting field.”
The Deputy Head Boy also shared his early childhood memories of the sport: “My earliest memory of cricket is from playing in the yard with my dad. We’d often play ‘test matches’ until late in the evening until it got too dark to see the ball.
“I also remember watching Imran Tahir and loving the passion with which he celebrated every wicket, which is what inspired me to start bowling leg spin.”
The Saints star’s resilience brings to mind a quote from Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel, The Old Man and the Sea: “‘But man is not made for defeat,’ he said. ‘A man can be destroyed but not defeated.'”
While one’s physical body can be destroyed, a strong spirit remains unbreakable.
With a keen intellect and relentless work ethic, Nikhil Sukraj will pose a threat to all batsmen who stand in his path at the Switch Schools SA20 Final Showdown.
