CA Aanand Dayma: Between numbers and cricket, he chose both

At some point, most people feel like they have to choose. Career or cricket. Responsibility or passion. Stability or the game they grew up loving.

For Aanand Dayma, that choice never felt right. Because even while building a career in Chartered Accountancy, cricket quietly stayed with him through every phase of life.

“Mere CA ke saath saath, I also pursued my dream, and I am happy about it,” Aanand says

And that is exactly what his story is about. Not leaving cricket behind once life got serious.

From Jalgaon to Pune

Aanand moved from Jalgaon to Pune to pursue CA. Like every student entering that world, his life soon became packed with studies, deadlines, articleship and work. The routine was demanding. Long hours became normal. Most people around him naturally moved away from hobbies and sports.

But cricket stayed.

Not always loudly. Sometimes through weekend matches. Sometimes, through practice sessions before the office. Sometimes, just through conversations with friends after a long day. For Aanand, cricket was never separate from life. It became part of the routine he was building.

Learning from two different worlds

Aanand often describes himself as “a numbers guy.” His work requires focus, patience and consistency. But over time, he realised that both CA and cricket were shaping him in different ways.

“CA se mene focus sikha,” he says.

The kind of focus that helps you stay calm under pressure and keep working towards something long-term. And cricket gave him another important lesson.

“Aur cricket ne mujhe discipline sikhaya.”

That discipline slowly became visible in every part of his life. Managing work while consistently making time for cricket is not easy. But Aanand found a rhythm that worked for him.

Practice before the office. Matches on weekends. Late evenings with the team. Early mornings on the ground. Over time, it stopped feeling like a balance and started feeling normal.

Cricket as direction, not distraction

One of Aanand’s closest friends, CA Sagar Sanklecha, explains his relationship with cricket perfectly.

“Bahut logo ke liye cricket distraction hota hai, but Aanand ke liye direction hai.”

That line says a lot about who he is.

For many people, cricket becomes something they slowly grow out of once adult life begins. But Aanand continued to stay connected to the game while handling the responsibilities of his profession.

And that connection reflects in the way he approaches both worlds. At work, he is calm, detail-oriented and composed. On the field, the same mindset shows in how he bats, bowls and contributes as an all-rounder. There is no dramatic separation between

“Professional Aanand” and “Cricketer Aanand.”

They are both part of the same person.

Aanand’s wife, CA Vaidehi Patil, describes him in the simplest and most honest way possible.

“Balance toh iske baaye haath ka khel hai.”

Because balancing career and cricket together is never as easy as it looks from the outside. There are long days. Tiring schedules. Matches squeezed between responsibilities. Yet Aanand continues to show up for both. Not because it is convenient. Because cricket still matters to him.

And maybe that is what makes his story relatable to so many people on CricHeroes. Especially working professionals who still carry their love for the game alongside their careers.

My 5-9 before my 9-5

Before office hours begin, cricket already becomes part of his day. The practice sessions. The matches. The team huddles. The competitiveness.

The joy of simply being on the ground. And through that consistency, Aanand has gone on to become one of the most respected tennis ball all-rounders on CricHeroes. But his story is not only about performances or numbers. It is about continuing to make space for something you genuinely love, even after life gets busy.

What makes Aanand a changemaker?

Aanand Dayma represents a generation of cricketers who refused to completely leave the game behind after college. His journey is not about choosing cricket over career. It is about proving that both can exist together. Career and cricket.

“One life, gotta do both,” Aanand says.

And that thought feels instantly relatable to every cricketer who still checks match schedules between meetings, carries a bat in the car or waits all week for weekend cricket. Because the love for cricket does not disappear once adulthood begins. For some people, it simply finds a new place in life.