A combination of players being in good touch through the tournament and the team management identifying suitable roles for them has helped India U-19s reach the final, where they will face Bangladesh U-19s.
Here, Sportstar looks at what the India U-19 players have brought to the table.
Kartik Tyagi
The spearhead of India’s bowling attack, Kartik Tyagi has been a menace with the new and old ball for opposition batsmen. His manipulation of the seam enables him to move the ball both ways and, delivering from quite wide of the crease, he gets batsmen into trouble with the ball that straightens after pitching. Operating in the late-130s (kmph) and often nudging the 140-mark, Tyagi might not seem particularly quick but he can be skiddy and possesses a good bouncer, which adds another dimension to his bowling. At the ongoing U-19 World Cup, Tyagi has 11 wickets at an average of 10.90.
Divyaansh Saxena
A left-hand batsman who resembles Shikhar Dhawan, Divyaansh Saxena has made two fifty-plus scores at the U-19 World Cup. The second of his fifties was an unbeaten 59 against Pakistan U-19s in the semifinal, in an unbroken 176-run partnership with centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal. Saxena is particularly strong with his driving square on the offside and doesn’t hesitate to go after deliveries wide of off-stump, often with the bat face open aiming to pierce the ring of fielders on the offside. His other fifty-plus score came against New Zealand U-19s in India’s final group match, another unbeaten knock of 52 that helped the team post a winning total of 115 in a curtailed match.
Akash Singh
A left-arm seamer who has bowled predominantly in the middle overs, Akash Singh has provided India with control. He has been an ideal foil for Ravi Bishnoi and Kartik Tyagi, who have been the wreckers-in-chief with 13 wickets and 11 wickets, respectively. His best performance in the tournament came against Australia in the quarterfinal, where he took three for 30, setting up the win for India.
Sushant Mishra
A left-arm seamer who has partnered Kartik Tyagi with the new ball at the U-19 World Cup, Sushant Mishra was instrumental in India’s win over Pakistan in the semifinal. A bowler who predominantly bowls short of good length and likes to make judicious use of bouncers, two of Mishra’s three wickets in the semifinal came off short deliveries which hurried the batsmen and bounced high enough to take the top edge. When the wickets haven’t come, Mishra has done the holding job of not conceding runs and building pressure that can benefit the bowler at the other end.
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Shubhang Hegde
A left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, Shubhang Hegde featured in the U-19 World Cup match against Sri Lanka, bowling two overs for 10 runs. With Ravi Bishnoi and Atharva Ankolekar being India’s first-choice spinners, Hegde has not had much involvement, though he must remain on his toes and be ready to step in. He had a good run of matches leading up to the World Cup, when he took wickets and made crucial runs as a lower-order batsman.
Kumar Kushagra
The youngest member of the Indian squad, Kumar Kushagra, 15, has had only one outing in the tournament so far. A wicketkeeper-batsman, Kushagra featured against Japan U-19s and made an unbeaten 13 as an opening batsman partnering the prolific Jaiswal. As a back-up to the team vice-captain Dhruv Jurel, Kushagra would have liked more involvement. However, given the nature of the tournament, an opportunity might be just around the corner and the Jharkhand-born Kushagra should be ready to deliver.
IND v BAN, U-19 WC FINAL | HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Shashwat Rawat
A left-hand batsman and a part-time seamer, Shashwat Rawat has had very little action in the tournament so far. He featured in the Indian playing XI against Japan U-19, but he didn’t get to bat or bowl. Rawat had a good run of matches in the quadrangular tournament and the bilateral series against South Africa U-19s before the U-19 World Cup, contributing mainly with the bat.
Tilak Varma
A left-hand batsman who bowls part-time off-spin, Tilak Varma has featured in the Indian playing XI throughout the tournament. His most significant contribution came against Sri Lanka in the first group-stage match, making a 53-ball 46 as a No. 3 batsman. He also sent down one over for six runs. With the side dominant against almost every opposition en route to the final, Varma hasn’t had much to do. However, as any other member of the squad, he needs to be braced for his opportunity that may arise out of the blue.
Vidyadhar Patil
A right-arm seamer who can contribute with the bat, Vidyadhar Patil has featured once at the U-19 World Cup. Playing against Japan U-19s, he picked 1 for 8 in four overs including a maiden. He had a run of matches leading up to the biennial tournament but has struggled for game-time since the outing against debutant Japan, which was India’s second group-stage match. Patil must wait for his chance but have the mindset to deliver when he is thrust into action.
Siddhesh Veer
A middle-order batsman and a part-time off-spinner, Siddhesh Veer came into the squad as a replacement for Divyansh Joshi. He has played each of India’s five matches at the World Cup, where he made an unbeaten 44 against Sri Lanka before a 25 against Australia in the quarterfinals. With the Indian top order in form and batsmen hardly losing their wickets, Siddhesh hasn’t had many opportunities to prove his batting ability fully, but he is known for playing his shots and scores his runs at a good strike-rate.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal had a prolific domestic season with the bat, making 779 runs in 13 List-A innings including a 203 in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Mumbai. He sustained his good run in the U-19 World Cup, topping the run charts with 312 runs from five matches. He has scored three half-centuries and a century.
Dhruv Jurel
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Jurel is India’s wicketkeeper and middle-order batsman. He has had a good run of scores leading up to the World Cup, having made 101 in the U-19 Quadrangular Series final against South Africa after a 65 against the same opposition a week earlier. Jurel struck a half-century against Sri Lanka U-19s early on in the World Cup, and hasn’t been required to bat much in the tournament. He has effected four catches and two stumpings, in five matches.
Priyam Garg
Batting at Nos. 3 and 4, Garg has scored runs across formats at the domestic level and came into the tournament with a century and a half-century, both against South Africa U-19. Garg struck a half-century against Sri Lanka in the group stage, and scored five runs in the only other innings he played in the rest of the World Cup until the semifinals.
Atharva Ankolekar
A left-arm orthodox spinner, Ankolekar had been potent with the ball in the months leading up to the World Cup. Ankolekar has played three matches in the World Cup, taking four wickets at an average of 19.75 and an economy rate of 4.15.
Ravi Bishnoi
Bishnoi has been the most prolific wicket-taker for India in the World Cup, with 13 wickets. He has taken two four wicket hauls — against Japan U-19s and New Zealand U-19s.
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