Naavya Sharma OH (2024) has added another significant accolade to his rapidly growing cricket career after being named Young Cricketer of the Year at the annual Cricket Media Club Awards.
The prestigious award, which dates back to 1950, recognises the most outstanding young talent in the English game and counts many of England’s greatest cricketers among its previous recipients including Geoffrey Boycott, Ian Botham, James Anderson, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Naavya becomes the latest player to join that distinguished list following an outstanding year with Middlesex and England Lions.
During his time at Hampton, Naavya established himself as one of the School’s finest cricketing talents and captained the First XI with distinction. Since leaving School in 2024, his progress has been rapid. A standout season with Middlesex saw him play a key role in the county’s One-Day Cup triumph and claim 61 wickets across all formats, performances that earned widespread recognition across the game.
Another significant milestone came in May when Naavya made his England Lions debut against South Africa A, further underlining his growing reputation as one of the country’s most promising young fast bowlers. More recently, he was named in the Lions squad for their tour of the Caribbean, another notable step in a career that continues to gather momentum.
Away from the cricket field, Naavya is continuing to excel academically. Now in his final year at the University of Warwick, he is studying Mathematics while simultaneously pursuing a professional cricket career, an impressive combination that reflects the commitment, discipline and intellectual curiosity he demonstrated throughout his time at Hampton.
Everyone at Hampton School congratulates Naavya on this latest achievement and we look forward to following the next stage of his journey in the game.
