India U-19 Class of 2012: Where are they now?
ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup has always been an event which cricket enthusiast and experts around the world have an eye on. Like most of the other Test playing nations, some of India’s current Test stars like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara & Ravindra Jadeja, first came into prominence with their exploits in U-19 World Cup.
On the flip side, few others like Yuvraj Singh, who is a modern day great when it comes to limited overs cricket, haven’t been able to establish himself in the test arena. Players like Md. Kaif, Ajay Ratra, Piyush Chawla, Venugopal Rao, RS Sodhi have taken to the field in India colours but couldn’t really create a space for themselves.
All said and done, age group cricket has always thrown up exciting talents which prompted the writer to pen down an article “India’s Rising Stars” earmarking “seven wonders” of 2012 batch of India U-19 squad who were instrumental in India being crowned Junior World Champions.
Five years down the line, we assess where these youngsters stand today based on the early promise they had displayed.
#1 Unmukt Chand
Not only his run scoring ability but his temperament to stay calm under pressure and deliver those crucial hundreds at the junior level to go with his astute leadership, is what separated Unmukt Chand from the rest. One thought it was only a matter of time before he would graduate to the senior team.
However, in his 56 first-class games, the Delhi youngster has a modest average in the early 30s, which doesn’t really make selectors sit up and take notice. On the flip side, with age on his side, a couple of consistent seasons and Unmukt may well come into the national reckoning.