ICC U-19 World Cup | Know Your Future Stars ft. bowlers and bowling all-rounders
It is a place where kids dream - dream to make it big and replace the U19 tag with something bigger and more brighter. This is a platform which propels the journey to a more colourful world. As India take on Sri Lanka in the first game of their World Cup, we, at SportsCafe, profile the future stars.
In the first part of our U-19 profiling series, I detailed the batsmen. With the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyam Garg and Dhruv Jurel making for a fine batting order, bowlers haven't been left too far behind too. Being already picked in the Indian Premier League, the likes of Akash Singh, Kartik Tyagi, and Ravi Bishnoi are already on a big stage. In this installment of the series, we will talk about how India's bowling is lined up for the World event.
Akash Singh: Another example of Rajasthan’s growing stature as a cricketing state, Aakash’s inswinger is a thing of beauty. Aakash, who is being trained under Vivek Yadav at Aravali Cricket Academy in Jaipur since the time he was 13, has been working hard on his game since he was nine and despite never having the support from parents, he rose above all the odds to find a place in the India U-19 side. He came to the spotlight when he secured figures of 10 for 0 in an open tournament held in Jaipur which paved way for selection in the Under-16 state team and Under-19 India team. An economical bowler, Akash can act as a deterrent to the run-flow while Kartik and Mishra can go for the kill. He has already been labeled as one of India’s future stars by Makhaya Ntini and there is a lot to look forward to from the Rajasthan Royals pacer.
Kartik Tyagi: Remember Kamlesh Nagarkoti, India’s breakout star in the last edition of the tournament? If it was the combination of Nagarkoti and Mavi last time, the role has to be played by Kartik Tyagi this time. Capable of swinging the ball both ways and bowling close to 140 makes him an exciting prospect, with his skills also impressing former Uttar Pradesh captain Rizwan Shamsad big-time. Already a stock of Ranji experiences behind him, Kartik claimed nine wickets in five games for India U-19 against England Colts and in the two Warm-up games preceding the mega event, he has already picked up six wickets, with one being 3/10 against Afghanistan U-19 in Pretoria. He will spearhead the attack alongside Sushant Mishra as the team will try to emulate the winning formula.
Atharva Ankolekar: After the demise of his father Vinod, Atharva Ankolekar was raised by his mother who works as a conductor at the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus depot at Marol in the suburbs of Mumbai. However, that never deterred Ankolekar from his primary aim as he bowled India to U-19 Asia Cup title on the back of his spin bowling exploits. After being selected for India B in the U-19 Challenger Trophy, he made it to Mumbai's U-23 squad and eventually found a place in the Asia Cup team in Sri Lanka. A good performance there has made him a main bowling force in the side as he will partner with Bishnoi and Hegde to land India the fifth Youth World Cup title.
Shubhang Hegde: After impressing in the Karnataka Premier League as a 15-year-old, the spin-bowling all-rounder from Karnataka has done well to get into the plane for the World Cup. A former skipper of the side, who led the Indian colts to a 3-2 series win over Afghanistan Juniors, Hegde is a mainstay on whom the lower-order power-hitting and spin bowling responsibilities will reside. He was in top form in the South Africa bilateral series and the preceding Quadrangular series, which must have helped him have a clear understanding of the conditions.
Ravi Bishnoi: While Hegde has been a solid prospect, with leadership experiences behind him, Rajasthan off-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has been an economical bowler, which landed an IPL contract for him in the recently-concluded auction. A product of Jodhpur's Spartan Cricket Academy, Bishnoi has been a regular wicket-taker in junior domestic tournaments for Rajasthan, with his stock ball and googly helping the side getting breakthroughs in the middle overs. Already picked up by Kings XI Punjab for 2 cr, Bishnoi will have a reputation to maintain as he will go into the event as India’s major spinner alongside Hegde.
Sushant Mishra: Another story emerging from the cricketing backwaters of Jharkhand, Sushant Mishra’s emergence in Indian cricket is a fine one. A wicket-taker in his own right, the left-arm pacer has done enough to guarantee a starting place in the team. 12 wickets in the last five matches that India U-19 played, Mishra has been a perfect foil to the duo of Akash Singh and Kartik Tyagi in the middle overs. In short, Mishra will need to don the same role as Mohammed Shami does for the senior team, nevermind the runs he concedes, with taking wickets being the first priority.
Vidyadhar Patil: In all probability, Karnataka’s Vidyadhar Patil will warm the bench in the first game in Bloemfontein but at the junior level, every game is an opportunity to learn and enhance the game. The boy from Raichur, who is out to fulfil the dream of his father, who used to work in Karnataka State water-supply department, has decent pace but his ability to swing the ball stood out during the Karnataka Premier League where he was representing Hubli Tigers. Patil will be useful for India in the South African conditions but his inclusion will purely depend on how the team management think of their combination.
