Led by Uttar Pradesh’s Priyam Garg, the Indian team comprising of powerhouse players Yashaswi Jaiswal and Atharva Ankolekar are the favourites to win the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020, thus aiming to extend the five-time champions’ dominance at the event.
Here are brief profiles of India’s ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Squad members:
Priyam Garg (CAPTAIN)
Priyam Garg (Instagram/Priyam Garg)
The Meerut-born middle-order batsman made his first-class debut in 2018 and has gone on to paly 12 FC games scoring 867 runs at an average of 66.69 with two centuries and five half-centuries to his name with a best of 206. He also boasts of a List A strike-rate of 90.87 in 19 matches, scoring 707 runs at an average of 47.13. He recently led India under-19 to a Quadrangular series title involving South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
Dhruv Jurel (VICE-CAPTAIN, WICEKTKEEPER)
Dhruv Jurel (Instagram/Dhruv Jurel)
The Agra-born stylish wicketkeeper-batsman and an opener led India to the Quadrangular title with century. While he is yet to play a First-Class or List A game, boasts of an Under-19 average of 47.44 and scores at a strike-rate of 81.02.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashaswi Jaiswal (Instagram.Yashaswi Jaiswal)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, opener by trade, has been in the news for his humble beginning – staying in a Tent near Azad Maidan to play cricket – before made the headlines for his superlative skills with the bat. In 2015 when he scored 319 not out and took 13/99 in a Giles Shield match, an all-round record in school cricket, which was recognized by Limca Book of Records. He became the player of the tournament 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. He made his FC and List A debut in 2019 and went on to become the youngest male double-centurion in List A with 203 runs off 154 balls in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Jharkhand.
Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma (Instagram/Tilak Varma)
Hailing from Hyderabad, Verma, a top-order batsman. made his mark in the age group cricket before getting a taste of First-Class cricket in the 2018-19 season playing a solitary game. He also has two List A appearances to his name. He has scored 575 runs at an average of 41.07 for India Under-19 and has also claimed seven wickets.
Divyaansh Saxena
Divyaansh Saxena (Instagram/Divyaansh Saxena)
Left-hand batsman from Mumbai and childhood friend of Jaiswal, Saxena has played 13 India under-19 matches scoring 597 runs at 54.27 including two centuries and three half-centuries.
Shashwat Rawat
Shaswat Rawat (Instagram/Shahswat Rawat)
A middle-order batsman Rawat has played 17 India Under-19 matches, scoring 245 runs at 17/50, with one half-century to his name.
Siddhesh Veer
Siddhesh Veer (Instagram/Siddesh Veer)
A spin bowling allrounder, Veer was a late replacement in the squad for the injured allrounder Divyansh Joshi. Veer has played two India Under-19 matches scoring 119 runs with a best of 71 and made a crucial 48 not out in the final of Quadrangular series.
Shubhang Hegde
Shubham Hegde (Instagram/Shubham Hegde)
Hailing from Karnataka, the slow left-arm orthodox spinner made his FC debut in 2019 against Baroda and has gone on to play four List A games as well. He was four wickets to him name in FC, while three in List A.
Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi (Instagram/Ravi Bishnoi)
The rising star of Indian cricket, leg=spinning allrounder Ravi Bishnoi has three FC games under his belt for Rajasthan scoring 177 runs including a best of 58. He has eight wickets from eight List A matches and six wickets in 6 T20 matches. For India Under-19 he has claimed 22 wickets at 19.00 in 12 matches and was the star performer with the ball during the quadrangular series.
Akash Singh
Akash Singh (Twitter Image)
Hailing from Bharatpur, Rajasthan Singh is a left-arm medium-fast bowler and has played one T20 game for the state claiming two wickets and has nine wickets to his name in nine India Under-19 matches.
Kartik Tyagi
Kartik Tyagi (Instagram/Kartik Tyagi)
The third UP player in the squad, the right-arm medium pacer took a hat-trick against Afghanistan during ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020. He has played one first-class game and five List A games, claiming three wickets and nine wickets, respectively.
Atharva Ankolekar
Atharva Ankolekar (Instagram/Atharva Ankolekar)
Left-arm spinner Ankolekar made the headlines claiming 5/28 in the 2019 Under-19 Asia Cup final to help India claim the title. Son of a bus conductor Ankolekar has played ten Under-19 matches for India claiming 27 wickets 9.51 apiece
Kumar Kushagra (WICKETKEEPER)
Kumar Kushagra (Instagram/Kumar Kushagra)
Hailing from Bokaro, Jharkhand, Kushagra is the back-up wicketkeeper to Jurel. He has played nine matches for India Under-19
Sushant Mishra
Shushant Mishra (Instagram/Shushant Mishra)
Left-arm pacer from Jharkhand, Mishra has played 13 India Under-19 matches and has taken 29 wickets, with a best of 5/29 at an average of 16.10 and an economy of 4.54.
Vidyadhar Patil
Vidyadhar Patil (Instagram/Vidyadhar Patil)
Hailing from Karnataka, Patil, a right-arm medium bowler has experience of playing in the Karnataka Premier League for Hubli Tigers. He has played 12 India Under-19 matches claiming 13 wickets at an average of 28.23 with a best of 2/7.