Aahil Kachru
| Aahil Kachru | |
| Born | 9 June 2009, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Professional Cricketer |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm Leg Break |
| Role | Batting All-rounder |
| Domestic Team | Pondicherry |
| Years active | 2024–present |
Aahil Kachru (also written as Aahill Kachru; born 9 June 2009) is an Indian cricketer who represents Pondicherry in domestic age-group cricket competitions organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He has represented Pondicherry in youth domestic tournaments including the Vijay Merchant Trophy, Vinoo Mankad Trophy, and Cooch Behar Trophy.
Early life
Aahil Kachru developed an interest in cricket at a young age and trained extensively as a batter and leg-spin bowler. His performances in youth cricket allowed him to establish himself among promising young cricketers emerging through India’s domestic age-group cricket system.
Career
Early recognition by Delhi Capitals
At only 11 years of age, Kachru gained national attention after being featured by the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals on its official Instagram platform, where he was highlighted as a cricket prodigy.
The video received more than 1.5 million views, making him one of the youngest cricketers to receive such recognition from an IPL franchise on social media.
Pondicherry cricket
Kachru shifted to Pondicherry during the 2023–24 season and became eligible to represent the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP), entering its structured age-group domestic cricket system during the 2024–25 season.
Vijay Merchant Trophy
Kachru represented Pondicherry in the 2024–25 Vijay Merchant Trophy, India’s national Under-16 domestic cricket competition organized by the BCCI.
During the tournament, he scored 172 runs against Baroda, helping Pondicherry secure a crucial first-innings lead. He later scored an unbeaten 59 runs against Tamil Nadu, contributing to Pondicherry recording an important victory.
Pondicherry finished third in its group and did not qualify for the knockout stage.
Following his performances, Kachru received the Emerging Player of the Year award from the Cricket Association of Pondicherry.
Pondicherry Premier League
In 2025, at the age of 15, Kachru was selected by Mahe Megalo Strikers in the Pondicherry Premier League (PPL), a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket competition organized by the Cricket Association of Pondicherry.
Representing the defending champions, he primarily played as an opening batter and competed alongside players who had previously participated in senior domestic tournaments including the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
During the tournament, he was adjudged Best Fielder in two separate fixtures.
Mahe Megalo Strikers finished runners-up after losing to Villianur Mohit Kings in the final.
Vinoo Mankad Trophy
Kachru represented Pondicherry in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, India’s Under-19 domestic one-day cricket competition organized by the BCCI, held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Lucknow during the 2025–26 season.
During the tournament, he scored a half-century against Uttarakhand while competing as a first-year Under-19 player.
Cooch Behar Trophy
During the 2025–26 Cooch Behar Trophy, India’s national Under-19 multi-day domestic cricket competition, Kachru recorded several notable performances.
His innings included:
- 159 runs against Gujarat
- 78 runs against Vidarbha
- 63 and 31 runs against Mumbai
- 34 runs against Jammu and Kashmir
Against Mumbai, Kachru scored an aggregate of '94 runs across both innings, the highest aggregate by any batter during the match.
He finished the tournament with 388 runs at an average of approximately 45.
Following the tournament, he was recognized by the Cricket Association of Pondicherry as Best Batter for Pondicherry’s Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy campaign.
National Cricket Academy
Kachru’s performances in domestic cricket led to selection in development programmes organized by India’s National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Following the 2024–25 Vijay Merchant Trophy, he attended the Under-16 National Cricket Academy programme in Mumbai.
Following his performances during the 2025–26 domestic season, he was selected for the Under-19 National Cricket Academy programme in Rajkot.
Awards and recognition
Aahil Kachru has received recognition from the Cricket Association of Pondicherry for his youth cricket performances.
Awards include:
- Emerging Player of the Year (2024–25)
- Best Batter of the Year – Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy (2024–25)
- Best Batter Award – Pondicherry Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy campaign (2025–26)
Playing style
Kachru is a right-handed batter and right-arm leg-break bowler.
He primarily plays as a top-order batter and is regarded as a genuine leg spinner, with several five-wicket hauls in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.
External links
- Official Instagram
- Delhi Capitals Instagram Feature
- CricHeroes Profile
- BCCI Vijay Merchant Trophy
- BCCI Cooch Behar Trophy
References
- BCCI – Vijay Merchant Trophy
- BCCI – Cooch Behar Trophy Elite
- BCCI – Vinoo Mankad Trophy Elite
- CricHeroes – Aahill Kachru Profile
- Cricket World – Aahil Kachru Feature
- All Heart Cricket Academy Program
- Times of India – Cooch Behar Trophy Coverage
- Delhi Capitals Official Instagram Feature
- Vijay Merchant Trophy