Aggression and longevity are, normally, not complementary on the cricket field. Then again, an unbeaten 451 runs off 467 balls can hardly be termed ordinary, no matter who the opposition or what the level of competition. "That innings was special," recounts 17-year-old Vijay Zol of Maharashtra, when asked about his mammoth knock during a Cooch Behar Trophy match against Assam last year in Nasik. That innings wasn't a flash in the pan. With over three seasons of junior cricket, Zol, who hails from Jalna and trains at the academy run by Raju Kane in his hometown, has displayed a penchant for churning out substantial innings at remarkable strike rates, something that was bound to catch the eye of an IPL franchise. "I'm an attacking batsman, love to dominate bowlers," says Zol about his batting style, which bagged him a contract with the RCB. "If I get into the XI, I'll try to prove myself."

However, Zol will only be joining his IPL team after April 16. "That's when I return to India, after taking part in the under-19 quadrangular series in Australia," explains Zol , who despite not having played competitive Twenty20, doesn't feel that adjustment will be a problem.

"The format suits my style, so I'll only have to make slight changes. But I'll have to work on my fielding. It'll be great if I can save some runs for my team." And while T20 and IPL are all well and good, Test cricket is what the lad gets his kicks from. "I love playing the longer formats of the game. My dream is to represent India, and I'll continue to work hard towards it."

 In a nutshell