Brisbane, Sept. 22 -- Aryan Sharma, a 17-year-old who considered Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli as his "inspiration" and sent him a message in 2018 to watch him play for Australia in 2025. His dream to represent Australia came true after he lined up for the U-19 team against India in the first youth ODI of the three-match series on Sunday.

Aryan arrived at the Boxing Day Test in 2018 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as an 11-year-old with a dream and a sign. Seven years later, his dream turned into reality after he was named in the final XI of the Australian U-19 against India in Brisbane. The fixture that the 17-year-old witnessed was the one where Virat dazzled on the crease and conjured 82 in the first innings, which l...