India face SL in U-19 Cup opener
BLOEMFONTEIN: The precocious talent U-19 cricket sees these days often makes its presence at the senior level also. For instance, the Afghanistan team that stunned hosts South Africa in the U-19 World Cup opener on Friday had Ibrahim Zadran, a Test player, and Noor Ahmad, the youngest man to feature in an IPL auction.
Majority of Afghanistan’s U-19 players rub shoulders with international cricketers at the Afghanistan Premier League. They also have first-class experience. Its impact showed in the way they lorded the Proteas teenagers, who were relatively short on experience at the senior level.
This factor is likely to play a big role when holders India take on Sri Lanka in their opener here on Sunday. The four-time champions are aiming to consolidate their dominance in U-19 cricket and would be aided by the presence of players who are battlehardened, having played at the senior level. The defending champions are led by Priyam Garg, who is a first-class regular for Uttar Pradesh and even has a double century in Ranji Trophy. He has also played List A and T20 domestic matches.
Garg’s statemate, fast bowler Kartik Tyagi, also has first-class experience. He has bagged an IPL deal with Rajasthan Royals.
Also snapped up by the same IPL franchise is 17-year-old Mumbai batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal. At the Vijay Hazare Trophy in September-October, he became the youngest player to hit a List A double-century while leading the run tally for his team. He scored 564 runs at an average of 112.80 with three tons and a half-century. Leg-spinners Ravi Bishnoi (Kings XI Punjab) and Akash Singh (RR) are the other players who have got IPL contracts. Both have played for Rajasthan’s limited-overs teams at senior level.
Teaming up with them would be spin bowling all rounder Shubhang Hegde and Tilak Varma, who have played first-class and List A games for Karnataka and Hyderabad respectively. The latter, a No. 3 batsman, was the topscorer in the quadrangular series in South Africa which India won before the World Cup and has scored half-centuries in each of his last four games.
India thus would be hot favourites against Sri Lanka, who are led by batsman Nipun Dhananjaya. He was in the 2018 U19 World Cup side in New Zealand but didn’t play a match.