U-19 cricket, the world in which the gems of the cricket game are found, nurtured and groomed to perfection with the help of the experts. As of now, India U-19 cricket team is one of the best teams in the world. A mix of players’ aggression, skill, bold attitude, and dedication is what the current team is made up of.
So, what makes this current team the best one? Who is responsible for shaping up the dominant Indian team? Let’s find out below.
Here are the top 6 players who are responsible for shaping up the dominant Indian team and can be the future of Indian Cricket:
– by Rishita Patnaik
1. PRITHVI SHAW:
Prithvi Shaw, the guy who is often compared to Sachin Tendulkar because of his brilliance, has been a sensation in terms of batting and is already being considered to be one of the greatest batsmen that India had ever produced. His eye-catching innings of scoring 546 runs off 330 balls for his school team Rizvi Springfield in a Harris Shield match was the highest score by any batsmen since 1901 in any form of cricket. Later in January 2016, the record was surpassed by Pranav Dhanawade. Prithvi is from Mumbai and he recently made his first class debut in Ranji Trophy 2016-17 semifinals for the Mumbai Ranji Team and he scored a century in the second innings for which he was declared as the man of the match.
Indian Oil sponsors him to pursue his cricketing education. He was offered a contract by AAP entertainment which helped him to shift to Mumbai from Thane along with his father. He also earned a 36 lakh deal with SG.
Prithvi is the captain of a current U-19 team and has led the team beautifully as the Indian team clinched the series with sheer dominance in the recently concluded England tour. He scored 160 runs in five innings at an average of 32 and a strike-rate of over 100 in the series in England.
2. SHUBMAN GILL:
Shubman Gill, the Punjab based cricketer, has been excellent in his batting display in the recently concluded England series. He scored 278 runs in 4 innings with a strike rate of 100 in this ODI series where India toured England. And when England toured India in February 2017, India chased the total of 216 with the help of shubman as he registered his first maiden ton and scored a brilliant 138* off 157 balls which helped India to win the match by seven wickets and also to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Batsman like him can only unfold into a groomed professional cricket with much-needed guidance and nurture. He will equip himself with all the experience he had so far before walking into world cup which shall take place in 2018.
3. KAMLESH NAGARKOTI :
Kamlesh Nagarkoti, a bowling all rounder, is a future prospect in many ways. His all round abilities have helped team India to clean sweep England in India’s tour of England 2017. He made his first class debut for Rajasthan in The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17 and he registered his first ever hat trick for Rajasthan while playing against Gujarat.
When England toured India in 2017, he had a decent run in the series as he took seven wickets in three matches and scored 81 runs in three innings at an average of 40.5 with a strike rate of 92 which proved to be really essential for the team’s game. But when India toured England recently, he did not find much success as he took only 3 wickets in 4 games and scored only 32 runs. Despite this, he is considered to be the essential player of Indian team as he will be leading the team’s bowling attack in world cup 2018.
4. SHIVAM MAVI :
Uttar Pradesh based fast bowler, was a star performer in the four day game of India’s tour of England series 2017. India won the second U-19 test match by 97 runs in which Shivam mavi played a key role. In the first innings, he scored a 86 not out and took three wickets in the second innings. His performance helped India to sweep the two match series.
He is also applauded as one of the best fielders in the team by his coach W.V. RAMAN. He is a definite asset for team India as he can perform with a bat as well as ball and helping the team with his vivid fielding skills too.
5. HIMANSHU RANA :
Himanshu Rana, a Haryana based batsman, is one of the most experienced members of the current U-19 team. He has scored 697 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 53.61 and at an average of 36.68 in the Ranji Trophy. He has 3 first class fifties and 2 first class centuries registered to his name as of now. When England toured India this year, he scored 211 runs in four matches with a strike rate of 96 at an average of 53.
As team India will be marching into the world cup next year, there will be higher expectations from Himanshu Rana because of his experience and hence he will shoulder the duties of guiding his fellow team mates.
6. RAHUL CHAHAR :
Rahul Chahar, Rajasthan based wrist arm spinner, has gained fame as he was the part of the Rising Pune Supergiants team in the tenth edition of the IPL. He has played just 10 games so far in all formats of the game. Among he has played list A cricket much often and has decent stats to his name. In the recently concluded India’s tour of England, he took 10 wickets in four matches at an average of 15.2 with an economy of 4.8.
With such economy of 4.8 to his name, the selectors consider him as an asset to the team because of his ability to block the run flow and helping the team suppress the opposition. He will play a key role in team’s success in the next year world cup which will take place in New Zealand.
– by Rishita Patnaik