"Speaking to him benefited me a lot" - Yash Dhull on Virat Kohli's pep-talk before U19 World Cup final

Yash Dhull and his Indian U-19 boys lifted the 5th WC title by beating England in the final [Image- ICC]

India's latest U19 World Cup-winning skipper Yash Dhull opened up about the impact of Virat Kohli's pep talk to his team before the summit clash against England earlier this week. Kohli, who is one of five captains to lead India to World Cup glory back in 2008, interacted with members of the current squad before the title clash.

Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Yash Dhull praised Kohli for motivating the team, stating that the players benefited from the former Indian skipper's experience. Yash Dhull said:

"He said, 'Play the final like any other match. Don't take the pressure of the final.' Speaking to him benefited me a lot. You must have seen that the team did not play under pressure. The team benefited a lot from the experience of Virat bhaiya."

8 #U19CWC finals.
4 consecutive finals; 5 finals in last 6 editions,
5 🏆
Just 2 defeats across 4 editions
Unbeaten in the competition
9th win on the bounce
A dominance to be proud of.

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Yash Dhull also opened up about how he and his team have been celebrating the triumph. He said:

"We first celebrated on the field. Then there was a team meeting and there was a celebration thereafter. This victory is in the past and now we have to stay grounded. We know that the journey ahead has to be decided from here, so we need to keep our feet firmly on the ground."

The U19 team brought their A-game when it mattered the most this past week as they swept aside England by four wickets to claim a record fifth title. Raj Bawa's all-round performance (5/31 & 35) and Ravi Kumar's four-wicket-haul laid the foundation for the historic triumph.

"Everyone wants to play for India" - Yash Dhull

The U19 World Cup triumph has once again thrown up many talented cricketers like Sheik Rasheed, Vasu Vats, Raj Bawa, Ravi Kumar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Dinesh Bana, and Dhull to name a few.

Over the next few days, the emerging stars will be a hot property in the IPL mega-auction. Dhull, however, has got his priorities sorted as his sole goal is to represent the senior Indian team. He said:

"The target is the same for everyone - playing for India. People are saying IPL, auction, etc. But everyone wants to play India. This is everyone's dream."

At the TOP of the world, exactly where we belong!

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Dhull missed out on a couple of games during the campaign due to testing positive for COVID-19. However, the Indian skipper came back strong in the semi-finals as he smashed a match-winning ton against the Aussies. The talented right-handed batsman scored 229 runs in four innings at an average of 76.33 during the tournament.