The 20-year-old has recently taken to the first team in impressive fashion in two formats. He scored an important 41 on his championship debut against Essex at Chelmsford, then struck a superb 82 on his 50-over debut against Yorkshire at Scarborough and followed that with an accomplished 42 against Kent at Rugby School yesterday.
The 20-year-old has recently taken to the first team in impressive fashion in two formats. He scored an important 41 on his championship debut against Essex at Chelmsford, then struck a superb 82 on his 50-over debut against Yorkshire at Scarborough and followed that with an accomplished 42 against Kent at Rugby School yesterday.
Isleworth-born Jani developed in the Middlesex CCC pathway and through the academy at Whitgift School, where he scored 1,698 runs for the first XI. He then joined the South Asian Cricket Academy and it was for them that he faced an experienced Bears 2nd XI at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground in May this year. His 196 in that match (40 from 42 balls and 156 from 169) convinced the Bears to sign him on a summer contract.
“I am really enjoying it at the Bears,” Jani said. “The lads are great and I have settled in really nicely. I am enjoying the environment. It was a bit of a tough start because when I first signed I was juggling my time with university, but as soon as I finished the university year I was able to be around a lot more and I am really enjoying it, especially the last few weeks.
“It was very good to contribute in my first two games. At Essex I went in with us needing about 100 to avoid the follow on and I was a bit nervous – I took ten or 12 balls to get off the mark. But it was brilliant to have Ed Barnard batting with me because I got a lot of backing from him which allowed me to settle and play my game.”
“Then came my one-day debut at Yorkshire and again I was a little bit nervous but very happy to get some runs. It was nice to put on a few for the last wicket with Olly Hannon-Dalby and just a shame we couldn’t get a few more because with a few more runs we would have been in with a real chance of winning.”
Having taken the step up to first-team cricket very much in his stride, Jani’s short-term aim is to stay among the runs in the senior side, next up against Middlesex at Rugby School tomorrow. His longer-term aspiration…to build a future with the Bears from the strong foundation laid by his time with the SACA.
“I played one game for SACA last year and then my second game for them was against Warwickshire this year and it went well,” he said. “SACA gave me the platform to show what I can do against a county side. I also went on pre-season to Abu Dhabi with them which was another great opportunity and I am really grateful to them for that platform.
“Now I have been lucky enough to get this opportunity at Warwickshire and I will work as hard as I can to try to keep building and be at the Bears for a long time.”