A good performance in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 followed by a mouth-watering Indian Premier League (IPL) contract! That's what some of India's rising stars will expect this weekend in Bengaluru. (More Cricket News)
Their 'big' brothers like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Prithvi Shaw, Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill et al, who have been part of U-19 World Cup-winning teams in the past, are superstars in IPL. Current India U-19 players Yash Dhull, Raj Bawa, Harnoor Singh and Vicky Otswal are perhaps next in line.
Several teams like Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings love to groom players. It will be interesting to see how many current under-19 India players are picked at the IPL 2022 player auction on February 12 and 13.
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A total of 590 players will be up for grabs. Of them, 228 are capped, 355 are uncapped and seven are from Associate nations. But watch out for these five Under-19 Indian cricketers.
Yash Dhull
A middle-order batsman, Yash Dhull led India in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2022 in the West Indies. He showed composure and skill as India emerged unbeaten champions for the record fifth time. Despite being affected by COVID-19 during the tournament, Dhull scored crucial knocks of 46 and 110 against Bangladesh (quarters) and Australia (semis), respectively, in crisis situations. Yash Dhull has already made the Delhi Ranji Trophy squad and an IPL contract will put the spotlight on the 18-year-old talent.
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Raj Bawa
Sports runs in his genes. The grandson of 1948 Olympic hockey gold medallist Tarlochan Singh Bawa, all-rounder Raj Bawa is a complete package and is best suited for the shortest format of the game. He can score big hundreds, grab wickets when needed and is a good fielder. A middle-order batsman, Raj Bawa has shaped his game like his idol, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.
Raj Bawa’s 162 not out against Uganda and a 5/31 in the final against England speaks volumes about his talent. The Chandigarh lad could turn out to be a hot buy in the IPL 2020 mega auction.
Vicky Otswal
The left-arm orthodox spinner is currently one of the best bowlers in the U-19 circuit. Vicky Otswal started with a bang in the U-19 World Cup with a 5/28 against South Africa in India's tournament opener. It is true that Vicky didn’t get as many wickets as one would have expected from him in the World Cup, but the 19-year-old from Pune finished as India’s highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps.
Vicky Otswal played a crucial role in India’s U-19 Asian Cup-winning campaign last year taking 3/8 in eight overs against Sri Lanka in the final.
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Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Much like Vicky Otswal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar has a great ability to contain the run flow. Despite just five wickets from six matches in the U-19 World Cup, the 19-year-old from Maharashtra has shown he can deliver at 140+ kmph consistently. Besides, Hangargekar can score briskly lower down the batting order.
Hangargekar's 17-ball unbeaten 39 against Ireland during the U-19 World Cup group stages underlines his all-round abilities. Hargargekar even got the backing of India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who predicted the youngster will be a sought-after player in the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Harnoor Singh
Apart from an 88 against Ireland in the Under-19 World Cup, opening batsman Harnoor Singh had a quiet tournament in the West Indies.
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But he will be one youngster to look out for in the IPL 2022 big auction because openers play crucial roles in IPL matches. Harnoor Singh had a successful Asia Cup campaign where he was the highest run-getter (251 in five games).
The left-hander from Jalandhar came into the limelight when he finished with 400-plus runs playing for India D in the U-19 Challenger Trophy last year that included three three-figure scores.
