Although the U-19 team does not draw crowds similar to the senior team, this tournament has proved to be a very crucial platform for young cricketers to achieve adulation, fame, and success in future. These players got a chance to get their talent observed and attract ticket to the national squad. The country has been successful in finding precious gems each year. Most of these stars also went on to become legends of the game.
Here is a list of players who were first noticed at the U-19 World Cup. These players emerged as a crucial part of the Indian national team in the following years:
Yuvraj Singh
This gem of Indian cricket team was definitely the biggest find of U-19 World Cup (2000). Singh was the Man of The Tournament for the event. He made India win remarkably by beating opponent Sri Lanka in the finals. After hitting two-50s in the tournament, Singh took inspiring 11 wickets and assisted the young Indian team acquire the coveted title. Later on, Singh went on to achieve more on the senior side.
Mohammad Kaif
The U-19 World Cup is also famous for Kaif-Yuvi partnership. At that time, Kaif served as a captain and won the title. The credit of victory also goes to the all-round efforts. Later, the captain went on to play some really impressive partnerships with Yuvraj. Kaif also emerged as one of the best fielders in the side.
Virat Kohli
One of the most special things about the U-19 World Cup (2008) victory is its marvelous discovery in the form of Virat Kohli, the immensely talented and promising present captain of cricket team. The edition was quite significant for India. The victory played a crucial role for Kohli. He got a major breakthrough by contributing his first-rate batting as well as leading the side efficiently.
Harbhajan Singh
Singh didn’t manage to have a brilliant campaign at the edition. However, his amazing talent was noticed. He was a part of U-19 World Cup (1998) and managed to take 8 wickets in around 6 matches for 3.44 economy rate. Later on, this Turbanator received a call for the national ODI team.
Rohit Sharma
The triple hundred master and India’s star opener Rohit Sharma had a remarkable campaign at the U-19 World Cup in 2006. He scored 205 runs in 6 innings at an average of 41 and was rewarded with a call for the national squad the next year. He was a part of the team that won the maiden T20 World Cup in 2007.
Ravindra Jadeja
The talented cricketer is a gem of a find who presently leads spin attack for India. R Ashwin is his partner. Although lacking great stint, his tender age helped him participate in the 2008 U-19 team. Under the skilled guidance of Virat Kohli, the young cricketer managed to emerge as a winner.
Cheteshwar Pujara
The gifted cricketer was teammate of Rohit Sharma at the U-19 World Cup (2006). He is widely known for his exploits in the game’s longest version. Pujara is also the leading scorer of tournament after scoring 349 runs in only 6 innings. Interestingly, he was the single batsman to score a century from the side.
Virender Sehwag
Sehwag is reckoned widely for carefree batting. This immensely talented batsman maintained an unparalleled status in the area. He had no competition and holds the distinction of scoring the fastest three hundred in the international cricket history. Sehwag is also one of the only two players to score triple century in Tests and double-hundred for ODIs. The journey of the cricketer started from the U-19 World Cup (1998). This event also helped some of the world level cricketers such as Chris Gayle, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, and Harbhajan Singh showcase their invincible talent.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina was declared lifeblood of World Cup 2011 winning team as per the 2004 edition. The skilled player was also considered as go-to-man of Dhoni. Although this wasn’t one of the best performances of Raina, he was adored everywhere by his fans for his brilliant skills of fielding, the flair for picking up key wickets, and the impeccable aptitude to up the stake in the event the batting order slumped. All of these capabilities helped this cricketer maintain the rank of a significant member of the senior team.
Shikhar Dhawan
Once a leading run scorer with thee record of 505 runs, Dhawan was tagged as ‘player of the tournament’ for U-19 World Cup2004 edition. This exceptional stint allowed the skilled player to display early signs of being an outstanding attacking batsman. Dhawan beautifully managed to maintain this reputation.
