3 youngsters who have failed to live up to the hype

In a cricket crazy nation like India, we find talented youngsters in almost every street. However, only a few are able to make it to the highest level. It needs high commitment and dedication to represent the country for even a short period of time.

Naturally, our domestic setup is also keenly followed as it produces cricketers who will make India proud in the future. In such a demanding situation, a few youngsters wither under pressure and fail to achieve what was expected of them.

Let's take a look at 3 such youngsters who were destined for big things but have failed to impress so far.

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#1 Unmukt Chand

Probably, Unmukt Chand is the only Indian cricketer who was more famous than many international players even before his debut. When this Delhi lad came into the limelight, Virat Kohli had been established as the future of Indian cricket.

Kohli, also from Delhi, had led the U-19 team to victory in the 2008 World Cup. Chand, also from the same state was leading his country in the U-19 World Cup. He scored a magnificent century against the mighty Aussies in the final to help his side clinch the title.

With obvious comparisons to Virat, Unmukt was destined for a big debut. However, that debut never came as he failed to capitalize on his chances in the IPL and the Ranji trophy.

Though he captained Delhi for a while, Chand fell out of favour with his state team too. He will now be looking to find his form and try to be back in the reckoning for the National side.

#2 Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan has a long road ahead of him before he represents India

Sarfaraz Khan made headlines with his performances in Mumbai Shield cricket. He represented the India U-19 team at the World Cup at the age of 17. He was also picked up by RCB in the IPL and became the youngest player to debut in the tournament. His performances in his initial seasons of the IPL earned him praise from the likes of Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle.

He moved to Uttar Pradesh for Ranji season as he was not getting opportunities with Mumbai. He was also facing issues with his weight which was affecting his fielding. However, when he was retained by RCB for the 2018 edition of IPL, many felt the youngster would return to his prime.

That did not happen and he was highly criticised. He decided to move back to Mumbai for Ranji cricket and hence he is now serving a lay-off period of 1 year. The dream to represent his country is now distant and it can get closer if he can perform well in the IPL next season.

#3 Ashok Menaria

Ashok Menaria could have been a great player for India

Ashok Menaria succeded Virat Kohli as the skipper of the Indian U-19 squad for the World Cup. Though he was not able to win the tournament, Ashok impressed many with his all-round abilities. India needed a "Yuvraj Singh" kind of a player at that time and Menaria was the perfect fit with his left arm batting and spin bowling.

He was a good left-arm spinner and a genuine middle-order batsman. Representing his home franchise Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Menaria could not impress the selectors and eventually fell out of favour.