The current India team has a number of India U-19 Stars in the likes of captain Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan and Manish Pandey, among others. Even in the past many a great players made their way to the Indian Team with exceptional performances at the U-19 level.
However, many other India U-19 Stars couldn’t capitalize on their exceptional performances in the U-19 World Cups. These very talented players, without a shade of doubt, in the process couldn’t earn a India call. Today we celebrate those exceptionally talented who missed the bus to India
Here are 7 India U-19 Stars who couldn’t make it to Indian squad.
1.Unmukt Chand
The 2012 U-19 World Cup-winning skipper is the first on our list. Chand rose to fame on account of his exceptional leadership and batting in the tournament. He was the leading run-getter for India in the victorious campaign with 246 runs in 6 matches at an average of 49.2 including a match-winning century in the final vs Australia.
After leading the team to the title, Chand was tipped by many as a future star and soon bagged an IPL contract, plying his trade for the Delhi Daredevils(DD).
After a few unimpressive seasons with DD, Chand moved to Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians but didn’t make the most of the opportunities.
He has gone unsold in IPL auctions since 2017. In 2019, he moved his base to Uttarakhand but he failed to be amongst the runs. The chances of the Delhite playing for India in the future are quite slim.
2.Baba Aparajith
Next on our list, is another player from the batch of 2012, Baba Aparajith. Aparajith was the man of the match in the Quarter Final and Semi-Final against Pakistan and New Zealand. He was instrumental bringing the cup home.
However, he couldn’t replicate his performances in domestic cricket. Sporadically, Aparajith scored runs for Tamil Nadu but wasn’t consistent enough especially in the limited-overs format. He led Tamil Nadu in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season.
The all-rounder warmed the benches for 5 seasons in the Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant teams, as he was unable to make the playing XI. It is unlikely that Aparajith will get the India cap anytime soon unless he does wonders in the domestic circuit.
3.Ajitesh Argal
The 2008 India U-19 squad, had a number of current Indian players in its ranks, viz. Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Ravindra Jadeja. But another vital cog in that side was Ajitesh Argal, who was the man of the final vs South Africa. He scalped 2 wickets of Roussow and Pieter Malan, both of whom went on to play for the senior side of Proteas.
However, Argal played only 19 domestic matches across formats for Baroda with the last one coming way back in 2018.
4.Ashok Menaria
Ashok Menaria captained the India U-19 at the 2010 ICC U-19 World Cup. He turned out for the Rajasthan Royals for 3 seasons but wasn’t retained by the side after 2013. He is a regular for the List-A and first-class teams of Rajasthan but played his last T20 way back in 2016.
5.Harmeet Singh
Another world cup winner from the 2012 side was Harmeet Singh and played a decisive role as he was the lead spinner for India. He was tipped by many as ready prospect to play for India right after the world cup. He played for Rajasthan Royals in the 2013 season. However, the climacteric for the left-arm spinner was the suspension due to his alleged links in the 2013 spot-fixing controversy but he was later given a clean chit by the board. Harmeet never played IPL after the controversy and was never a regular for the Mumbai team.
6.Tanmay Srivastava
Tanmay Srivastava played for the Indian U-19 side in 2008 World Cup and was leading run-scorer for India with 262 runs. He played a crucial knock of 43 in the final against the Proteas.
Tanmay Srivastava played for KXIP, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Deccan Chargers in the IPL but wasn’t successful enough and couldn’t represent the senior team.
7.Manvinder Bisla
The last player in our list would ring a bell in the minds of KKR fans. The unlikely hero of the 2012 IPL Final, Manvinder Bisla. Long before that match-winning knock, Bisla was the leading run-getter in the 2002 U-19 World Cup for the Indian colts with 284 runs at 47.33 in the tournament.
Before KKR, Bisla plied his trade for Deccan Chargers and KXIP but wasn’t a regular in the side. He last played competitive cricket in 2017.
There have been several players who have dazzled in the last few editions of the U-19 World Cup. All exceptionally talented to make it to the Indian Squad. Who do you think will make it to the Indian squad in the times to come? Do let us know!
This is all about the India U-19 Stars who couldn’t make it to Indian squad. Do you know some more stars who could join this list? Do let us know in the comments below.
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