Passion for the game is a vital ingredient for success in any sport – and 10-year-old Tauranga resident Utsav Kumar has passion in spades when it comes to cricket.

He loves swinging the bat and has big ambitions. A big one on his wish list is to make the Black Caps one day. His coach says he's probably the best prospect in his age group in the country right now.

In the season just gone he managed to reach a batting average of well over 100 and his club recently gave him a certificate for outstanding batmanship in honour of that.

'My best score is 147 not out,” says Uti, as he is affectionately known to his friends and team mates. He's been playing the game since he was seven.

His proud dad, Ashok, is eager to add: 'Only once this season was he bowled out”.

A member of Mount Maunganui Cricket Club, Utsav says he trains every day. 'About two hours and up to four on a day off from school,” he says.

Ashok says he loves it so much 'he often doesn't want to go home after training”.

At home, in the backyard, his family has a batting cage and dad, who used to play for Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla, India, started Uti off early in the game. 'First with a tennis ball and then harder balls.”

Uti's usually his team's number two batsman.

Of his play, Ashok says Uti's a confident batsman when it comes to speeds balls, but spin is a different matter. 'I am still working on spin,” says Utsav, a quiet kind boy with a big smile.

Uti says his favourite cricketers are Brendan McCullum, Martin Guptil and Virat Kohli, India's T20 vice-captain and man of the tournament of the recent World T20. And though he loves watching his favourite players at work, he admits he spends much more time practising cricket than watching it on television.

Mont Maunganui Cricket Club coach Andrew Templer is impressed with the young man so far, coaching him for a year or so.

'He's probably the best prospect in a long time in his age group and plays a year or two above where he should be. He's got a good future ahead of him in the game.”

'I enjoy coaching him, he's a good listener. I know his dad spends a lot of time with him playing cricket.”

This winter Utsav will be part of his club's cricket academy and his coach has already had words with the cricket coach at Tauranga Intermediate, where Utsav will be going to school next year.

'They're really excited he's coming.”

Uti plays representative cricket at the highest level possible for his age group. 'He's better that that though,” says Andrew.

'This winter we'll be working on a sharpening up number of his skills.” Andrew hopes a few Northern Districts coaches will spend time at the academy this year.