2016 Under-19 World Cup : Know India's future stars

The U-19 World Cup, a biennial affair, presents the world with future international cricketers with each passing edition. It provides the perfect launchpad for the young cricketers to show their skills and experience the taste of the highest level of the game.India, who has won the tournament three times, has unearthed the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Mohammad Kaif in the past. Coached by Rahul Dravid, the young outfit is a colorful palette of buddingcricketers from various parts of the country.Here’s a look at the fifteen members of the squad, who aÂll be flying to Bangladesh to represent India colts:

#1 Ishan Kishan (Captain)

Ishan Kishan is the captain of the India U-19 side playing the 2016 World Cup.

Chosen as the captain of the young generation of India's cricketers, Ishan is a wicketkeeper-batsman born in Patna, who now plays for Jharkhand.

Born in 1998, Ishan is still 17, and as described by his Santosh Kumar, “is a mixture of Adam Gilchrist and Mahendra Singh Dhoni”.

He was the captain of his school and club team, and also participated in the School World Cup in Aligarh. He started his first-class career for Jharkhand against Assam in late 2014, and has played ten first class matches since, scoring 736 runs with a century and five half-centuries. He moved from Patna to Jharkhand a couple of years ago to play the top-flight of domestic cricket and realise his dream. He was handed the reins before the recent tri-series involving Sri Lanka and England and started the stint on a positive note, leading the team to an unbeaten six match streak.

#2 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant (L) has emreged as a capable wicketkeeper batsman for the Under 19 side.

Rishabh arrived from Roorkee to play the game in Delhi, before going to Rajasthan to play U-14 and U-16 cricket. He came back to Delhi and acquired typical Delhi swagger, and has evolved ever since to become the vice-captain and second wicket-keeper of the U-19 team.

He has developed his reputation of being a big-hitter in the junior circles, and practises six-hitting in the nets. He was the highest scorer for Delhi's U-19 team last year. Pant made his first class debut against Bengal in October last year, and has played a couple of matches since.

He found his mentor, Tarak Sinha, at the Sonnet Cricket Club in Delhi, and hasn't looked back ever since. He is a big fan of Adam Gilchrist, and considers him the reason why he took to the game.

#3 Washington Sundar

Wasahington Sundar was India’s highest run-scorer in the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka preceding the World Cup.

In the age of cricket’s razzmatazz T20 version, Sundar Washington has moulded his batting on the lines of Sunil Gavaskar. His father, M Sundar, was a former Tamil Nadu player, and has been the primary guide in his cricketing career.

He was first discovered by the TNCA first division league team, Globe Trotters’ coach, M Senthilnathan, and was quickly included in the starting XI. Three years later, he was included in the India U-19 team to play the Tri-series in Kolkata against Bangladesh and Afghanistan late last year. The sixteen year old left hander has grown from strength to strength, making his way from the TNCA league to represent the TNCA XI in the Buchi Babu meet, where he scored 108 against Himachal Pradesh. He scored a match-winnning fifty and took a couple of wickets against Bangladesh in the tri-series, highlighting how integral he is to the team’s plans.

#4 Ricky Bhui

Ricky Bhui’s List A averages from seven matches that he has played so far is a staggering 158.5

One of the stars of the U19 setup, the 19 year old Bhui was born in Bhopal, but has played for the Andhra-U19 team. A right handed batsman and a part-time leg-spinner, Bhui has the distinction of scoring an unbeaten century on his List A debut against Goa in March 2014. Coming in at No.5, he took just 79 balls to reach 103 runs, hitting eight fours and six sixes.

On his Twenty20 debut, he scored a 34 ball 53 against Karnataka, an innings which was studded with four fours and three sixes. He also became the first player from Vishakhapatnam to play for India in his home ground for the India U-19 team. He was also part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL squad in 2014. In 13 first class matches, he has amassed more than 500 runs with two centuries and three wickets. He averages a whopping 158.5 from seven List A matches.

#5 Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz has been the most prolific run-scorer fro India in the World Cup so far.

The youngest player ever to play in the IPL, Sarfaraz Khan took the cricketing world by storm by scoring a 21-ball 45 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, in only his second game. This is his second U-19 World Cup after a successful stint in 2014, where he scored 211 runs at an average of over 70 and a strike rate of 105. After his contract with the Bangalore IPL franchise started in 2015, he has gained valuable experience by sharing the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle, and has received their praise which he says has boosted his confidence.Sarfaraz came into limelight in 2009 as a 12 year old, when he broke a 45-year record by scoring 439 runs off 421 runs in the Harris Shield. His father is a local Mumbai coach who has trained the likes of Iqbal Abdulla and Kamran Khan, and Sarfaraz was inducted into the game at a very young age. Now 18, he hopes that his final U-19 World Cup will be a truimphant campaign after the disappointment of a quarter-final loss against England in the last edition.

#6 Armaan Jaffer

Jaffer holds the record for hitting 4 consecutive centuries in the Cooch Bihar U-19 Trophy.

Known as the nephew of former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer, Armaan has carved a niche of his own with consistent performances in the U-19 circles. Most recently, he came into the record books for achieving the unique feat of scoring three consecutive double hundreds and four consecutive centuries in the Cooch Bihar U-19 trophy, apart from being the highest run-getter and hitting the most sixes in the tournament.

Armaan came to be known as a batting prodigy after breaking his teammate Sarfaraz Khan's Harris Shield record by scoring 498 for Rizvi Springfield school in 2010.

Due to an untimely ankle injury, Jaffer missed the cut for the 2014 U-19 World Cup, but has made amends by amassing 1018 runs from seven innings in the Cooch Bihar trophy.

He idolises Sachin Tendulkar and AB deVilliers, and credits coach Rahul Dravid for motivating him during testing times. Armaan is the only player from Mumbai to make it to the U-19 squad.

#7 Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan has been spearheading the Indian bowling attack in the U-19 World Cup.

Standing at six feet two inches, Avesh Khan symbolises what the Indian team has been missing for a long time, a genuine fast bowler. He clocked 139.8 kmph in the last U-19 World Cup against Pakistan in the UAE and exudes raw pace and power. Khan started his cricketing career with a stint at the Indore Colts Cricket Club, before being picked by former Indian batsman Amay Khurasiya.

After the 2014 World Cup, Khan has made it to the Madhya Pradesh Ranji team. In the recent tri-series match against Bangladesh, Avesh conceded just four runs and picked up four wickets in six overs. Such was his impact that the opposing captain, Mehidy Miraz, admitted that we was rattled by his pace.

His father, who was a club cricketer in his youth, was pleased when Avesh took interest in the game. Now the spearhead of the U-19 bowling attack, Avesh has come a long way from his Tennis ball cricket days in CV Raman Nagar, Indore.

#8 Rahul Batham

Batham idolises Jacques Kallis and wishes to be an all-rounder for India.

As a nine year old, Rahul was sent to Ankur Cricket Academy by his father, Rajendra Batham, with the hopes that he would help realise his father’s dream. Under the tutelage of Jyoti Prakash Tyagi, Batham made it to the Bhopal U-15 team and got a call-up to the Madhya Pradesh U-16 team. He picked up five wickets in the final of the Vijay Merchant U-16 trophy, helping Madhya Pradesh win their maiden title. He can also swing the bat when needed, as he showed in his first game in the Cooch Bihar trophy, scoring 157 runs.

Hailing from the Gwan Mohalla colony on the outskirts of Bhopal, he was drafted into the Amay Khurasiya Cricket Academy, where be made a potent bowling combination with Avesh Khan. In the U-19 Challenger Trophy in 2015, he was the second highest wicket taker. He idolises Jacques Kallis and dreams of becoming an all-rounder in the Indian team.

#9 Amandeep Khare

Amandeep Khare (Centre) during practice sessions with India U-19 coach, Rahul Dravid.

Amandeep Khare, a middle order batsman hailing from Chattisgarh, is the first player from his state to be selected for the U-19 Indian team. Before the Challengers Trophy in Pune, Amandeep had amassed 695 runs at an average of 77 in seven matches

Born in 1997, he helped Central Zone win the inter-zonal competition last year by scoring two centuries. In a match against Sri Lanka U19 in December last year, he came in at No.3 and scored a 98 ball 103, paving the way for his team’s victory. He can also add variety to the bowling lineup with his useful medium pacers.

#10 Anmolpreet Singh

Anmolpreet Singh scored more than 1000 runs in the Cooch Bihar Trophy for two consecutive years.

Anmolpreet was introduced to the game at the young age of eight, when he started playing with his cousins. Hailing from Patiala, Anmolpreet went on to join the Black Elephant Cricket Club and the DMW Cricket Academy. Last year, the right handed batsman hit a triple century in the Cooch Behar Trophy and ended with 1,514 runs, scoring more than 1000 runs for the second consecutive year.

Sports runs in his family. His father, Satvinder Pal Singh, was a handball player before joinig Punjab Police while his brother, Tejpreet Singh, has represented Punjab in the U-16 team. His cousin, Prabhsimran Singh, is a wicketkeeper for the Punjab U-16 team. Anmolpreet’s stellar performances, including a match winning 77 in the finals, helped Punjab retain the JY Lele Trophy in September last year. He can also bowl off breaks.

#11 Mahipal Lomror

Lomror did exceedingly well in India’s U-19 World Cup clash against NZ.

One of the youngest players in the team, the 16 year old hails from the small town of Nagaur in Rajasthan. His journey started from a humble background as his father is a clerk in a government organization. The facilities at his native place are anything but inspiring, and budding cricketers have to make do with sub-standard facilities. Lomror has never been held back by the lack of support, and has made his way into the U19 team as a leg-spinner and a middle order batsman.

Under Lomror’s captaincy, Nagaur won the U-16 to U-19 district level championship. Now in Indian colors, Lomror is providing crucial contributions to the team. In a recent ODI against Canada, he bagged three wickets and scored an unbeaten 55, helping India thump them by 372 runs.

#12 Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel with coach Rahul Dravid.

Khaleel hails from Tonk, a sleepy town on the south of Jaipur. His would-be coach, Imitiyaz Khan, knew his family, and invited a young Khaleel to come for trials. It was a difficult phase, as his father was not convinced of letting his only son leave studies to play cricket. When he relented, Imitiyaz sent Khaleel to the Rajasthan Cricket Academy in Jaipur for the U-14 camp.

He made an instant impression in the U-14 Rajsingh Dungarpur trophy, claiming 26 wickets in four matches. Known to have a potent inswinger, he found the facilities at RCA to be starkly different from the regressive cemented pitches in Tonk. Now part of India’s U-19 team, he has come up with match winning performances in the recent months, including a three for that helped India win the tri-series finals, and a five wicket haul against Pakistan before the start of the World Cup.

#13 Shubham Mavi

Shubham Mavi is a medium pace bowler.

Shubham Mavi comes from the city of Meerut, known in the cricketing circles for housing factories that produce bats. He is a medium pacer who was trained at the Victoria Park Cricket Academy, famous for producing the likes of Praveen Kumar and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.

He studied at the Meerut Public School before showing his interest in serious cricket, a move his family didn’t accept readily. He was chosen to play for India Blue in the U-19 Challenger Trophy, along with Ricky Bhui, Washington Sundar and Anmolpreet Singh. With consistent performances in the Indian colors, the 18-year old Mavi has helped associate his small town, Bulandshahr, with the game of Cricket. Along with the tearaway pace of Khaleel and Avesh, Mavi’s medium pace provides variety to the bowling attack.

#14 Zeeshan Ansari

Ansari is a leg-spinner with a good googly and also a lower-order hitter.

Coming from a modest background, Zeeshan is part of a big joint family, and as a kid, was expected to grow up and take the conventional way of joining the family business of tailoring. Seing him play better than others of his age, one of his uncle’s friends suggested that he go to the LDA Academy in Aliganj. His leg-spin caught the eye of the coach, and he was inducted in, even though his father was unconvinced about his future aspirations.

He didn’t represent his state in the U-14 and U-16 levels, but made an instant impact in his first Cooch Behar game, taking ten wickets. He ended up with a whopping 58 wickets from nine matches in the U-23 CK Nayudu trophy. He got into India’s tri-series squad on the back of seven-wicket haul against Bengal in the finals of last year’s Cooch Behar trophy. Ansari has also developed a good googly, and seems prepared to handle the rigours of top-flight cricket.

#15 Mayank Dagar

Mayank Dagar idolizes Daniel Vettori.

Born in Delhi, Mayank Dagar studied in the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, and hence chose to play cricket for Himachal Pradesh. Net sessions at the Feroz Shah Kotla, where he bowled to the likes of Virender Sehwag, gave Mayank the motivation to play at the highest level. Now part of the U19 World Cup squad, he has already realized part of his dream.

Dagar joined the Shimla Cricket Academy, he stood out with his performances in the U-16 Vijay Merchant trophy and the U-19 Cooch Behar trophy. His father, Jitender Dagar, used to play cricket for Delhi University, and was fully supportive of his son becoming a cricketer. Dagar picked five wickets in three matches in the quadrangular series in Kolkata last year. The slow pitches in Bangladesh are expected to assist his trade of left arm spin, where he’ll aim to achieve success at an early age, much like his idol, Daniel Vettori.