ICC U19 World Cup 2022: 3 players to watch out for in the final
A cracker of a contest is on the cards as India U19 lock horns with England U19 in the summit clash of the ICC U19 World Cup on February 5 (Saturday) in Antigua.
England held their nerves in a low-scoring thriller against Afghanistan to seal a final berth, their first since 1998. Defending 231, England rode on Rehan Ahmed's 4/41 to edge past their opponents by a margin of 15 runs.
Meanwhile, India thrashed three-time champions Australia convincingly to set up the final date.
India were in a spot of bother after being reduced to 37/2, but Yash Dhull and Shaik Rasheed steered the innings with a 204-run stand to propel the Boys in Blue to 290.
The score proved to be more than enough for Australia, who were all out for 194.
As the entire world assembles in front of their TV screens for the exciting final, let's take a look at three players to watch for.
#3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi
There's something special about this 16-year-old Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Good timer of the ball
The young opener has been the most attractive of the lot and has scored most of the runs for his side. The fourth-highest run-scorer in the current U19 World Cup, Raghuvanshi has amassed 278 runs in five matches at an average of 55.60, including a century and a fifty.
The 16-year-old is at the heart of India's batting, providing his side with good starts. He played an innings of 144 runs against Uganda U19 while his half-century came against Ireland U19.
However, Angkrish had a rare failure against Australia in the semifinals, scoring only six runs. He will hope to make up for it in the ICC U19 World Cup summit clash on Saturday.
#2 Tom Prest
The England U19 captain has been belting runs in the tournament and has led the team from the front.
Prest has so far amassed 292 runs in five matches at an average of 73, including an unbeaten 154 against UAE U19. A classical right-handed batter, Prest has a knack for playing big innings once he gets set.
He has also been a handy customer with his gentle off-breaks, picking up five wickets so far, including a three-wicket haul against Canada.
The 18-year-old will be India's biggest threat in the quest for their fifth U19 World Cup title.
#1 Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Rajvardhan Hangargekar 💥💥 https://t.co/WJTvnRrOyr
The 19-year-old all-rounder from Maharashtra has been the star attraction in the current India U19 squad. From clocking over 140 kph to clearing the ground with ease, Hangargekar can do it all.
He is a handy customer with the new ball and has been economical, conceding 3.35 runs per over. The right-arm fast bowler has five wickets under his belt with the best figures of 2/8.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar can also play the long handle and the team relies heavily on him in the middle order. He has scored 52 runs in five matches at a strike of 185.71, including an unbeaten 39 off 17 balls against Ireland.
India will want their favorite son to be on song as they eye the coveted U19 World Cup title on Saturday night.