Remember the future when India plays Bangladesh in Bloemfontein. The India under-19 team is usually the subject of increased curiosity. Of all the cricket boards, the team is chosen from the largest pool of talented players in each age group. With victories in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022, India is the most successful team in the history of the U-19 World Cup, therefore they have a reputation to uphold as well. Hence, India’s title defense will begin on Saturday with their opening match against Bangladesh, offering a first look at the best players of the future.

The onus will be on the Uday Saharan-led team to play a vibrant style of cricket while exhibiting the forbearance necessary to withstand the added pressure that comes with playing at this level. While a few stars will undoubtedly emerge throughout the World Cup, certain players have already been identified as ones to keep an eye on.

Arshin Kulkarni, an all-round seam bowler for India who also opens the batting, is a rising star whose picture of himself pleading with Jacques Kallis for blessings has already gone viral. The brother of Sarfaraz Khan, an all-rounder who bowls spin and averages 71 in the 2016 edition, Musheer Khan, will be eager to build on his family’s U-19 World Cup legacy. Except for Priyanshu Moliya of Baroda, Musheer is one of just two players with first-class experience. He bats in the middle order and bowls slowly with a left arm.

The team is stacked with all-around players, as may be expected. Other than Arshin and Musheer, the batting all-rounders Adarsh Singh, Dhanush Gowda, Saumy Pandey, and Mohamed Amaan are in the bowling all-round category. Kulkarni, Khan, Singh, and Moliya make up the top-order batting group in addition to captain Saharan. Gowda and Raj Limbani spearhead a potent pace attack that includes left armer Naman Tiwari and Aaradhya Shukla. The two wicketkeepers are Innesh Mahajan and Aravelly Avanish.

While India’s U-19 teams have produced many great players and captains who have advanced to the highest levels of competition, many others have not had the same degree of success. Those examples have undoubtedly made the present players more aware that success at this level does not ensure a career in the sport.

They don’t have to go past the 2022 model. Yash Dhull is one of such graduates, having captained India’s U-19 World Cup team alongside Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, and Prithvi Shaw. However, Dhull is still getting used to his new surroundings. Both speedster Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Raj Bawa, who won Player of the Match in the final for his 5/31 and 35 at bat, are taking their time making a name for themselves at the senior level.

Kartik Tyagi is one of the three candidates from the 2020 batch who performed well in South Africa, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Ravi Bishnoi. After scoring an undefeated 111 in the championship match, Chand, the captain of the 2012 campaign, was heralded as the next big thing, but his career never really took off.

Once upon a time, it was simple to get swept away by the excitement around the U-19 World Cup, but these days, aside from domestic cricket, the IPL and India A tours are seeing it as just another stage on which to display skill. Scouts looking to identify fresh potential are tapping into the local T20 tournaments, which are an offshoot of the Indian Premier League. Although there is a significant difference in the level of play between first-class cricket and these small T20 competitions, the performances are increasingly receiving more attention. For instance, in the Ranji Trophy, a player’s six-hitting skill garners more immediate recognition than their hard-earned hundreds.

An example of this is Sameer Rizvi. The batting sensation from Uttar Pradesh gained prominence from his performances in the UP T20 competition, and the Chennai Super Kings acquired him at the IPL auction for ₹8.4 crore. Following his 18 sixes for Vidarbha in the most recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shubham Dubey had his big break when he was selected by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹5.8 crore.

The abundance of choices naturally lessens the pressure to perform well at the U-19 World Cup, allowing India’s future players to participate without concern about following in the footsteps of Shubman Gill or Virat Kohli. Even though India was initially placed in a relatively easy group—against Bangladesh, USA, and Ireland—it won’t be an easy competition. Bangladesh has a reputation for being prickly opponents, so they will have difficulty adjusting to South African pitches, where pace and bounce are likely to keep batters on their toes from ball one. So, a victory over them in Bloemfontein ought to guarantee a successful U-19 World Cup debut.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/india-begin-u-19-world-cup-defence-with-tough-opener-101705683026112.html