Seven years ago, the India U-19 cricket team led by Unmukt Chand lifted the World Cup in Townsville beating Australia by six wickets. Both the countries had future stars in their ranks.
Sportstar traces the growth of the Indian XI of 2012. Where are they now?
Unmukt Chand: India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, Chand was advertised as the next big thing. There were comparisons with Virat Kohli, connecting the U-19 history and Delhi. The elegant right-hander — who had scored 111 in the final — could not break into the senior team. These days, he is not even a regular in the Delhi Ranji Trophy side but he keeps travelling to play club cricket in the United Kingdom and Dhaka.
Prashant Chopra: Chopra was the second-highest run-getter for India in the Cup and the first player from Himachal Pradesh to don national colours at the junior level. He had a fine transition. At present, Chopra is one of the prolific run machines for Himachal. He also represented India A.
Baba Aparajith: The Tamil Nadu all-rounder was a top pick; the 51 against Pakistan in the quarterfinal turned many heads. He had also picked five wickets in the tournament. Aparajith is the backbone of the TN side in domestic cricket. He has been part of India A as well.
Hanuma Vihari: Vihari is the only player from the U-19 batch of 2012 to play Test cricket for India. But he wasn’t one of the best players in the tournament. He had struggled on the hard pitches in Australia. The right-hander came up through domestic cricket and India A ranks. Vihari bats in the middle-order for Team India; at present, he is in West Indies for the Test series.
Vijay Zol: Zol was only 17 during the tournament. Later, he ended up captaining the U-19 side in the 2014 World Cup. In the same year, Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him for the IPL but he did not get enough chances in the star-studded T20 lineup. He is an all-format player for Maharashtra in the domestic circuit.
Smit Patel: He is remembered for stitching an unbeaten 130-run stand for the fifth wicket with Chand in the final after India was reeling at 97 for four. Patel was 62 not out in the end. The wicketkeeper-batsman from Gujarat currently represents Tripura in domestic cricket. He scored 526 runs in six matches in Ranji Trophy 2017-18 season.
Akshdeep Nath: Nath did not have a great tournament with the bat but he was exceptional as a fielder and a motivator. The right-handed batsman had a terrific 2018-19 Ranji season with 727 runs. He led Uttar Pradesh to the quarterfinal as well.
Harmeet Singh: Left-arm spinner Harmeet kept the proceedings tight claiming six wickets in the tournament. He also scored a fighting 13 in the crucial quarterfinal against Pakistan. The Mumbai boy currently represents Tripura in domestic cricket.
Kamal Passi: The right-arm fast bowler — who returned with handsome figures of 6/23 against Zimbabwe in the pool match — did not prosper after the Cup. In four first-class games, for Himachal Pradesh and Services respectively, he picked up five wickets.
Ravikant Singh: Ravikant generated a lot of movement and claimed 12 wickets in the tournament to finish the highest wicket-taker for India. He represented Bengal in one List A match and disappeared, but has been a regular in club cricket in Kolkata.
Sandeep Sharma: The Punjab pacer was consistent in providing breakthroughs; he also picked up four wickets in the final against Australia. He is the second cricketer from the batch to wear the India jersey, albeit in a couple of T20Is against Zimbabwe. Sharma is also a regular in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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