Success story: Younger crop of Indian cricket

If there is one sport in India that is managed exceedingly well right from the grassroots to the top level, then it is cricket. The 1.2 billion Indians have cricket running in their blood right from the moment they get to know what cricket is. India has a very dynamic system of cricket management which it definitely can be proud of.

The cricketing tier in India

The U-19 team, 2013.

The BCCI and the various state cricket associations start grooming young children – who will grow to become the nation’s heartthrob – at a very tender age itself. From starting cricket for kids at U-11 groups, various inter-state and intra-state camps, and many other cups for various age groups and national BCCI organized trophies makes this whole process of handling the game in India a very successful one. Besides these, every state hosts its own version of league level cricket, which makes it doubly-sure that cricketers play the game round the year and are always in touch with what is their only profession for many.

This type of organization only helps the nation in easily determining who will shine tomorrow, and who will replace who in the international team soon.

The young guns of Indian cricket

The 2012 U-19 world cup was a successful event for the Unmukt Chand led India, not only because they won the world cup, but it also meant that India had found 15 more players that it can train hard for a better future of Indian cricket. This tournament’s team, especially, have had an outstanding record of being recognized, not only because of their presence at the U-19 level, but also via consistent performances at the domestic circuit too.

Many of the stars at U-19 level are today, ones who represent their state sides in various formats and a few of them, IPL sides as well. Players like Unmukt Chand, Smit Patel, Harmeet Singh, Baba Aparajith, Sandeep Sharma, Vijay Zol and Hanuma Vihari plus a few, who did not make it to the U-19 WC squad, like, Sanju Samson and Manan Vohra have made sure that their successes at the U-19 level are not something that came to them by luck by proving their mettle in other domestic competitions as well.

Discussing this issue today, keeping in mind the recently concluded round one of Ranji Trophy 2013-14’s edition, we have some names of players, who look set to wear the Indian colours soon. For a first match of the season, it is too early to say this, but nevertheless, it has been a wonderful start for a few youngsters like Mandeep Singh, Baba Aparajith, Vijay Zol, Sanju Samson and Satyam Choudhary who all have notched up huge scores and have all got double centuries in their first innings of the match barring Mandeep Singh. Also, on the bowlers front, Ishwar Pandey, who already was the highest wicket-taker last season, Mohit Sharma, Rishi Dhawan, have shown some promise during their first game.

Very soon, the second round of the Ranji Trophy is to begin and many players are there to keep an eye on, like Unmukt Chand (who did not get to play in the first game due to heavy rains), Prashant Kumar (Andhra Pradesh), Sandipan Das (Bengal) and Vinoop Manoharan (Kerala) are looking to perform exceedingly well.

This well-maintained system of monitoring the progress of cricket from the lower strata has to be one of the prime reasons for the 2011 ICC World Cup victory, and the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, which was won with an inexperienced, young squad.

A better future for Indian cricket

It is time now for the BCCI to shift their focus, and start scouting for players by their abilities, for example, start getting in players who have excellent pace, technically gifted spinners, batsmen who can play the sheet anchor roles, etc., which definitely will improve the scenario in areas we are lacking as a team, like death bowling, for instance.

Also, the system incorporates bringing in youngsters into the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru and the MRF Pace Academy, Chennai besides other national camps held at various parts in India. This should be in a bigger focus, which will help youngsters from all over India train with superstars who coach at these academies, for example, Glenn McGrath, at the MRF Pace Academy.

Until then, let’s happily sit and watch the slow and steady, but a very successful progress that Indian cricket is making, and let’s also hope that new, young, fresh yet-to-be recognized stars emerge to take Indian cricket to a whole new era, achieving what their predecessors would definitely be very proud of!