India’s record fifth Under-19 Cricket World Cup title is special for various reasons. The success proves that there is no dearth of cricketing talent in India and if groomed properly Yash Dhull, Angkrish Raghubanshi, Raj Angad Bawa, Ravi Kumar will definitely be the future stars of Indian cricket. These budding cricketers have shown exemplary grit and determination against all odds throughout the tournament and proved their mental toughness, an essential prerequisite for champions. It should be mentioned here that in at least two matches, there were not even 11 fit players to don Indian colours. The supporting staff had to carry drinks to the field due to the outbreak of Corona in the Indian camp. But the boys never lost focus and achieved a rare feat by remaining unbeaten throughout the entire tournament. At the same time, the team banked on collective effort rather than individual brilliance and the tremendous comradery among the boys made it a truly tough team to beat. On its way to lift the coveted title, India comprehensively beat Bangladesh, Australia and England in the quarter final, semifinal and final respectively. It should also be noted that in the last edition of the tournament, Bangladesh had beaten India in the finals. But this time, a determined Indian team didn’t allow Bangladesh to repeat its success and sent the champions out of the reckoning. Throughout the campaign, India played like champions and established its supremacy over the other teams. It is hoped that the boys will play cricket with the same passion and intensity in the future too and continue to make the country proud. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should further sharpen and guide these boys towards the right direction in the days to come.
Everyone knows that the transition from junior to senior level is not an easy task, as the competition gets tougher. India has lost many young talents in this phase. The most glaring example of such loss is Unmukt Chand, the captain of the Indian Under-19 cricket team, which won the World Cup in 2012, who has now retired from cricket. There are many others, whose cricketing achievements stopped prematurely after winning the junior World Cup. BCCI should be careful that no one from this current team fails to meet their potential. All members of the World Cup winning team should be given ample opportunity to exhibit their talents at the senior level. A seamless transition to the higher level by these boys will definitely help India remain a major force in international cricket. India will require new blood in the team soon as there are a number of players in the senior Indian team who may retire from the game sooner than later. BCCI will have to keep their replacements ready to fill the void as and when required. This victory has formed the nucleus of a strong Indian team in the near future.