India on Saturday became the first nation to win five ICC Under-19 World Cup titles as they defeated England by 4 wickets in Antigua. A team led by Yash Dhull under the guidance of former ace batter and current NCA head VVS Laxman remained undefeated in the entire tournament and returned home with the shining silverware in its kitty. The team had a rolling outing in the Caribbean with every player playing its part almost perfectly. The stubborn Covid-19 tried to demotivate them for a while but the competitive spirit in their young hearts fueled their zeal to script history.
The Indian colts clinched the world title a week before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. Scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 February, it’s going to be a gala event in which a plethora of modern-era greats will go under the hammer. The introduction of two new teams and several overseas players pulling out will create opportunities for young players in the fray of getting picked and it won’t be surprising if some of the U-19 World Cup 2022 winners manage to crack lucrative deals.
EXCLUSIVE | Not Lured by Lucrative IPL Contract, Under 19 World Cup Winner Ravi Kumar Ready For Domestic Grind
Let’s have a look at five Under-19 Stars who could hit the pay dirt at the mega auction.
Yash Dhul: The Delhi-born young cricketer joined the likes of Virat Kohli, Mohammad Kaif, Prithvi Shaw, and Unmukt Chand in the elite list of players who had led India in a victorious ICC U-19 World Cup campaign. Dhull brings to the table his calm and composed demeanour and acts well under pressure situations. He amassed 229 runs in four innings, averaging 76. His powerful hundred against Australia in the semi-finals paved way for the team into the grand finale.
Raj Bawa: The Punjab all-rounder became only the second player to scalp a five-wicket haul in the ICC U-19 World Cup final on Sunday and went on to bag the Man of the Match award for his heroes. Bawa enters into the auction following a terrific show in the Caribbean. With the bat in hand, he amassed 252 runs from 5 innings, including a century. He also picked up a total of 9 wickets in 6 games. It’s safe to say that the youngsters would match the requirement of a franchise that will look for an all-rounder in the auction.
Shaik Rasheed: The 17-year-old is one of the players who have massively impressed the experts of the game. Rasheed’s batting skills, especially his ability to score under pressure, have impressed several former cricketers, including ex-Indian chief selector MSK Prasad. Despite returning positive for Covid-19, Rasheed left a strong impact in the tournament by scoring 201 runs in four games, including 2 fifties. He missed out on a hundred in the semi-finals against Australia but the way he batted in every game, the franchises would surely be giving a shot in getting him at the auction at the best possible price.
ALSO READ | Auction Action: RCB May Bid Handsomely for Jason Holder
Vicky Ostwal: With 12 scalps in 6 matches, the spinner from Maharashtra was India’s leading wicket-taker in the U-19 World Cup. His best bowling figure – 5/28 – came against South Africa during the group stage. Prior to the tournament, he showcased his prowess in the 2021 Asia Cup final in which he scalped 3/11 as India beat Bangladesh by 9 wickets to clinch the title. Any franchise looking for a young left-arm spinner would definitely go after Ostwal in the auction.
Ravi Kumar: 10 wickets from six matches – Ravi Kumar, born in UP but plays in Bengal, attracted quite a few eyeballs with his terrific show. The left-arm quick ended the tournament as India’s second-highest wicket-taker and is set to for the auctions. He would be one of the hotshots in the auctions as the teams would definitely go after a left-arm pacer.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here
,