Former Indian batter and Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), VVS Laxman, expressed his amazement at the mental strength of the India U19 men’s and women’s teams during an interaction held on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence near Bengaluru.
Laxman was part of the setup which travelled to the West Indies for the men’s U19 World Cup in early 2022, guiding the Yash Dhull-led team to its fifth title.
“I was so impressed during my first assignment in this role. When I went to West Indies with the Under-19 side, and that was during the Covid period, the resilience and the mental strength shown by the Yash Dhull-led Under-19 team was just phenomenal,” the 49-year-old said.
“There were six players who were down with Covid at one stage and we had only 11 players who played three matches,” he said, “Two matches we had only 11 and then all of them were in Trinidad and then straightaway they flew into Antigua and played the semifinals and then the finals and they won the tournament,” he added.
“Everyone contributed in that challenge and that was something I was very proud of. At such a young age, for the players to show that kind of resilience is really great. It was great to see.”
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The former Hyderabad batter also lauded the Indian women’s team that tasted success in the U19 T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023.
“The girls didn’t have exposure to T20 cricket because they didn’t play T20 cricket at U-19 level at that time. Suddenly for them to go and win the inaugural World Cup was a phenomenal achievement,” he reckoned.
“There is so much of upside for women’s cricket. The kind of commitment, dedication and the intensity with which they practise and prepare is unmatched,” he added.
The NCA head also had words of appreciation for the Women’s Premier League which has given young Indian women cricketers a chance to rub shoulders with the legends of the game.
FILE PHOTO: Shafali Verma of India lifts the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Trophy after beating England in the final in Potchefstroom, South Africa. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
“The WPL is a great initiative. Just like IPL helped Indian uncapped players to progress in their careers, fast track them into international cricket. I am sure WPL will be a game changer for the women cricketers,” Laxman said
With the U19 World Cups held only once every two years, certain players miss the chance to represent the nation in the youth international tournament. Laxman suggested that missing out on one tournament will not hinder their development as cricketers.
“Currently we are playing a series against Australia U19 and luckily a lot of the guys who may miss out on the next World Cup are part of this series. Overall, the exposure is there and they also are not only restricted or constrained only for the World Cup,” he said.
“We want them to evolve as cricketers and just because someone played India Under-19 or not doesn’t mean that they won’t progress in their career,” he added.
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