Study business at the University of Melbourne

“You’ve got to be on your money all the time, so it was definitely tough… a lot of hard work, time management, for me it was enjoyable.”

But doing both wasn’t always easy. There were days when the demands of cricket conflicted with his academic responsibilities.

“I remember I had a Premier Cricket match the day before [my VCE exam] and I still had to play because I knew I had the Under-19 National Championships a month after that, so I had to keep playing and be ready,” he says.

Despite these challenges, Vishwa never questioned his ability to keep both cricket and studies in balance.

After finishing high school, Vishwa has gone to study a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Business and Economics .

A Bachelor of Commerce degree equips students with the business skills and knowledge needed to solve challenges in modern organisations. Students can choose from six majors or can take a double major.

Vishwa has chosen finance and accounting subjects, influenced by his mathematical ability and the fact that his father had spent years working in the commerce space.

But balancing cricket with studies still has its challenges, especially given his international commitments. When he played in India with the Under-19 squad, he continued studying for exams while playing on the other side of the world.

“When I was in India for a month…you can’t just forget uni for a month and come back and expect to catch up on everything,” he says.

Fortunately, the University of Melbourne’s flexible Elite Athlete Program has allowed him to manage his time more effectively, consolidating his classes into one day per week.

He says his education at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Business and Economics will continue to give him options and opportunities at the end of his cricket career.

“[I’m] giving myself as many options as possible at this point,” he says.

He’s looking at pursuing opportunities in the finance sector in the future.

“[It’s] something I want to do after cricket as well, ideally, coming to a good university like this, it gives me that extra option in my career.”

Vishwa’s cricket career took a significant leap forward when he was selected for the Under-19 team and had the unique opportunity to play in his family’s hometown of Chennai.

“It was special because I was playing in my hometown, Chennai. That was unreal. [My relatives] got to come watch me bowl,” he says.

Vishwa’s connection to India runs deep, not just through his heritage but owing to his experience playing in a country where cricket is a way of life.

His next milestone is transitioning into senior cricket, eyeing opportunities in leagues like the Big Bash, while undertaking his degree.

“Obviously, the goal is to try to do my best in academics as well,” he says.

Vishwa currently plays for the Dandenong Cricket Club.

His dream isn’t just to succeed in one area of his life, it’s about achieving excellence in both. When asked whether his parents would be prouder of him earning a PhD or wearing the iconic baggy green, Vishwa responds without hesitation: “A baggy green, for sure… both [would be] ideal.”

Despite the challenges, Vishwa is committed to both his studies and his cricket career. His parents are firmly supportive of his decision.

“They understood that… you’re trying to do [cricket] as a career, so you can do both. That’s what they said.”

The University of Melbourne, consistently ranked among the top universities globally, offers more than just a degree through the Faculty of Business and Economics. It provides a transformative experience where students gain not only academic knowledge but also essential business skills—such as strategic thinking, financial acumen, leadership, and innovation— to allow them to navigate a rapidly changing business world with resilience and creativity.

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