Top 5 best performers for India in the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 ft. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Team India emerged as the runner-up in the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 after losing to Bangladesh by 59 runs in the final on Sunday, December 8. The bowlers' efforts helped the Men in Blue to bundle out the Tigers for 198. However, the batting unit couldn't be potent enough as they were all-out for 139.
Nevertheless, the showpiece event saw India producing impressive performances. Although they lost to arch-rivals Pakistan, the other three games were outright dominating wins for the side. In particular, India chased down a 174-run target in less than 22 overs against Sri Lanka in the semi-final.
On that note, let's take a look at the best performers for India in the U19 Asia Cup 2024.
#5 Hardik Raj - 59 runs & 7 wickets
Hardik Raj ranks fifth on the list with his crucial contributions in the lower order, wickets in the middle overs, and acrobatic fielding as well.
Hardik contributed 59 runs with the bat, including a knock of 24 in the final. He picked up seven wickets and claimed the best figures of 2/9 against Japan.
Moreover, the 18-year-old got hold of four catches, which was the most by an Indian player in this tournament.
#4 Vaibhav Suryavanshi - 176 runs
A lot was expected from the youngest-ever player to bag an IPL contract, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The southpaw failed to live up to the promise in the first two games but showed his merit in the subsequent games.
Suryavanshi returned with a knock of 76* off 46 balls against the UAE. He then followed it up with a 36-ball 67-run knock against Sri Lanka to help the side enter the final. In total, the 13-year-old slammed 176 runs at a strike rate of 145.45.
#3 Mohamed Amaan - 189 runs
Indian captain Mohamed Amaan was the top batter for the side in the U19 Asia Cup. He garnered 189 runs in four innings at an average of 94.50.
Amaan was impressive with his 122-run knock against Japan, which ultimately helped the side to win by 211 runs. He displayed his skills to rotate the strikes well and was calculative to increase the team's tempo.
#2 Chetan Sharma - 9 wickets
Chetan Sharma emerged as India's most successful bowler with nine wickets in four appearances at an economy of 3.61. He was exceptional with his line and lengths to cause trouble for the batters in the powerplay.
Sharma's best figures came against Sri Lanka, where he finished with figures of 3/34 off eight overs. His quick wickets with the new ball put the opposition under pressure and eventually bundled them out for a low score.
#1 Ayush Mhatre - 176 runs & 6 wickets
Ayush Mhatre translated his Ranji Trophy form to the U19 Asia Cup as well. The bat flow and the timing of the right-hander were pleasing to the eyes, as he scored 176 runs at a strike rate of 135.38.
The 17-year-old also chipped in with his part-time spin bowling to secure six wickets.
Mhatre's best knock came against the UAE, where he slammed 67* off 51 balls. Meanwhile, he returned with figures of 2/37 in a crucial semi-final game.