At 5 a.m., long before Patiala's streets begin to stir, Sagar Virk is already on his way to the cricket ground. The 17-year-old's routine has been built on discipline and repetition, the kind of unglamorous work that rarely makes headlines but often underpins the making of a cricketer. For Virk, those dawn departures were not just about practice; they were part of a long climb from watching his elder brother Manveer Singh play to earning a place in India's under-19 set-up.
His path has not been straightforward. Virk was overlooked for Punjab in his first year of under-16 cricket and missed out again the following season, setbacks that could have easily stalled a young player's progress. Instead, they became part of the test. His coach, Himanshu Chawla, continued to reinforce the belief that Virk belonged at a higher level, repeatedly reminding him of the possibilities ahead.
"My coach showed a lot of belief in me. He told me, 'You can do it. U-19 is the main level. Once you start playing there, you can even go on to play for India,'" Virk told The Hindu.
That faith eventually translated into opportunity. Virk forced his way into the India under-19 picture and then made a statement on the tour of Sri Lanka, where he scored 134 in the first Youth Test. For a teenager still shaping his game, the innings was more than a statistic. It was proof that the hours spent training before sunrise, the disappointments of selection misses and the constant pressure to keep improving were beginning to add up.
Back home, another important influence entered the picture. Virk shared a dressing room with Abhishek Sharma during the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament, playing for Amritsar Soormas. The experience, he said, was as valuable for the mind as it was for the game. Abhishek, already established as a high-profile domestic and franchise cricketer, was described by Virk as "very chilled out" and someone who encouraged the younger players to trust themselves.
"During difficult moments, Abhishek bhaiya's message was simple: 'Nothing will happen, just bat properly. We will get there,'" Virk said. "And those words gave all of us a lot of confidence."
In a sport where young players can be overwhelmed by expectation, such reassurance can matter as much as technique. Virk's account suggests that Abhishek's influence was not about technical instruction or elaborate advice, but about reducing the noise around performance and helping the younger batter stay committed to his own game. That kind of calm can be especially important for teenagers moving through the increasingly demanding pathway from age-group cricket to the international stage.
Virk now turns his attention to the Youth Tests against Australia, a fresh examination of his temperament and form. The challenge will be significant, as it always is when India's under-19 side faces a major cricketing nation with a reputation for pace, discipline and pressure. But Virk arrives with recent runs behind him and, perhaps more importantly, with a stronger sense of self-belief.
His journey so far has been shaped by early starts, repeated setbacks and the steady voices of those who refused to let him doubt his potential. From his coach's insistence that he could go all the way to Abhishek Sharma's simple message to "just bat properly," Virk has been surrounded by reminders that talent alone is not enough, but confidence can be built.
For now, that confidence is his most valuable asset as he steps into another demanding chapter of his young career. If the early mornings in Patiala taught him anything, it is that progress often comes quietly, one session at a time. The Youth Tests against Australia will show how far that patience can carry him.