The ICC Men's U-19 Cricket World Cup 2022 is all set to be played between 14 January and 5 February across four host countries in the West Indies, and like most editions over the years, the Indian U-19 team is again one of the title contenders.
The squad consists of some really talented players who have made their way into the mega event on the back of some impressive performances at the domestic and various other competitions in the same age-group level.
Here, we take a look at each of those players, their journey so far and also their preparation leading into the tournament.
Yash Dhull
The talented right-handed batter from Delhi has been named as the captain of the India U19 team for the upcoming junior World Cup. Dhull might be young but he is a seasoned campaigner when it comes to leadership skills. He has already led Delhi at the U16 and U19 levels, and also led the India 'A' U19 team recently. He is going into the tournament in very good form as well. Dhull amassed 302 runs at an excellent average of 75.50 for the DDCA in the 2021-22 Vinoo Mankad Trophy. Moreover, he played an excellent hand of 63 recently in India U19's 154-run win against UAE in the opener of the ongoing U19 Asia Cup.
Harnoor Singh
Like Dhull, Harnoor is another talented batter who is set to bat at the top of the order for the Indian Colts. The right-handed batter comes from a family of cricketers. His father Birinder Singh had represented Punjab at the U19 level while his grandfather Rajinder Singh was also involved in the game. His uncle is also a Ranji Player. Harnoor was selected for the World Cup on the back of a terrific performance in the Challengers Trophy where he finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 412 runs to his name, including three consecutive centuries. He also carried that form into the ongoing U19 Asia Cup, as he played a match-winning knock of 120 in the tournament opener against UAE.
Raj Angad Bawa
The alrounder will have a crucial role to play for the Indian Colts in the mega event as he lends balance to the side with his all-round ability. Angad is a medium fast bowler and an attacking left-handed batter, who picked up eight wickets and scored 154 runs in the recently-concluded Challengers Trophy. He is also the son of renowned coach Sukhwinder Bawa and the grandson of Hockey Olympian Tarlochan Bawa, a member of the team that won gold in the London Olympics in 1948. The youngster is all set to become one of the first two players from the Union Territory Cricket Association (UTCA), Chandigarh to represent India at the U19 World Cup. The other is Harnoor Singh, with whom Angad has been playing cricket since they were 13 years old.
Siddharth Yadav
The left-handed batter from Uttar Pradesh may not have a family legacy to carry forward in sports but he is surely marking the beginning of one. The top-order batter is the son of Shravan Yadav, who runs a small general provisions store in Kotgaon, Ghaziabad. Shravan once bowled to former India cricketer Manoj Prabhakar in the Ghaziabad nets, but couldn’t take his career in the game forward. Now he is looking to realise his dreams through his son's journey. Siddharth has come up with massive runs in whichever level he has played so far. He was the highest run-getter for the UP U16 team in his debut season, with a double century and five more centuries to his name. In the recent Challengers Trophy as well, he represented India-B and amassed 361 runs at an average of 120.33. Siddharth is expected to open along with Harnoor Singh in the U19 World Cup and he will be eager to carry his superb run of form forward.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
The youngster from Maharashtra, who has been troubling batters with his speed for the last few seasons, will be looking to deliver spectacular performances in the mega event. Hangargekar is someone who can bowl at 140 kph at this age and that's why all eyes will be on him in the tournament. Not only that, he is a handy batter too. He picked up 19 wickets and scored 216 runs in just eight games during the U19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy in September-October.
The youngster is also looking to rise above a recent personal tragedy. Hangargekar lost his father to COVID-19 last year and it has been a difficult time for him and his family since then. But the youngster has moved on from it and is looking to concentrate on the job right now. "My dad always encouraged me to play cricket. He supported me immensely from my childhood. His dream was to see me play for India. It is really tough to live without him, but I have come to terms with the fact that he is no longer with me. That has helped me to move on and concentrate on my job," Hangargekar told mid-day earlier this month.
Interestingly, the Marathwada Express, as Hangargekar is called, started his career as an off-spinner at the U14 level but switched to fast bowling as his team was struggling to find a proper pacer. The youngster has never looked back since and has only become better. Hangargekar has been in superb form lately and picked up three wickets in their U19 Asia Cup opener against UAE as well. He will be eager to carry this form forward into the World Cup.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
The 18-year-old is the only player from Mumbai Cricket Association to make it to India's U-19 World Cup squad. Raghuvanshi is a top-order batter who idolises Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers. He scored 214 runs, including two fifties, in four matches during the U19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy and 141 runs in just five matches during the U19 Challengers Trophy. He is a highly rated batter in the Mumbai circles and even Mumbai’s chief selector Atul Ranade has come out on record to say that the youngster reminds him of Rohit Sharma.
"When you see him batting in full flow, you feel that you're watching a young Rohit Sharma. The way he pulls the ball, hits it over covers, reminds you of Rohit in his early days. For an 18-year-old, he generates tremendous power," Ranade said in an interview to TOI.
Like Harnoor Singh and Raj Angad Bawa, Raghuvanshi has a rich sporting legacy in his family as well. His father and mother have represented India in Tennis and Volleyball respectively, and his brother Krishang plays tennis too. They are originally from Delhi and moved to Mumbai at the behest of former Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar when Angkrish was just 11 years old. He has been under Nayar's tutelage since then and is all set to move to the next stage of his career now.
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