5 successful Indian cricketers who starred in an Under-19 World Cup

The Indian Under-19 team will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on 14th January.

Prithvi Shaw, who plays for Mumbai's Ranji team, will lead this team and expect them to go all the way under the guidance of Rahul Dravid.

Over the years, the national selectors have monitored Under-19 performances and provided a platform for the players to encourage them in chasing their dream of representing the senior side.

Here are the players who played the Under-19 World Cup and then became superstars of the Indian team.

#5 Yuvraj Singh (2000)

India won their first ever Under-19 World Cup in 2000 and the star performer was none other than Yuvraj Singh. His all-round performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award and a call-up to the national squad.

In the Under-19 World Cup, Yuvraj scored 203 runs and took 12 wickets in eight matches. In a group stage match, he scored 68 runs against New Zealand and also picked up 4 wickets with the ball. In the semifinal, he scored a quickfire 58 off 25 balls against Australia.

After making his debut in the ICC Champions Trophy against Australia, Yuvraj never looked back and became one of the greatest match-winners for the Indian team.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan (2004)

Shikhar Dhawan was the star performer in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup

Shikhar Dhawan was the Man of the Tournament and also the highest scorer in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup. He scored 505 runs in 7 matches at a whopping average of 84.16, with 3 centuries and a single half-century to his name.

Dhawan scored 155 runs in his debut match against Scotland, while he amassed 120 runs against Bangladesh and 146 runs against Sri Lanka. He also scored 66 crucial runs against New Zealand. India's campaign came to end after losing to Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Despite Dhawan's sensational outing in the Under-19 World Cup, he made his international debut fairly late, against Australia in 2010.

#3 Rohit Sharma (2006)

Rohit Sharma is one of India's most accomplished batsmen

Rohit was a part of the Under-19 Indian team which featured in the 2006 World Cup. He was impressive, scoring 205 runs in 6 matches with 3 half-centuries to his name.

Rohit also picked up 4 wickets with the ball. Out of three half-centuries, two half-centuries came in crucial situations, one against West Indies in the quarter-final, and the other one against England in the semi-final. India finished runners-up, losing the final against Pakistan.

Rohit then made his international debut in the ICC World T20 in 2007 and made crucial contributions in the tournament. A decade later, Rohit is one of the most accomplished players in the Indian batting line-up.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja (2006 & 2008)

Jadeja was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2008

Ravindra Jadeja was part of the Indian Under-19 World Cup team on two occasions, first in 2006 and then in 2008. In 2006, he picked up 4 wickets in the tournament with an impressive 3-wicket haul against Pakistan in the final.

Jadeja was the vice-captain of the Indian Under-19 team in 2008, where he played a big role in winning the World Cup. He picked up 10 wickets in 6 matches at an impressive average of 13. In the final match, he picked up two crucial wickets against South Africa.

Jadeja was picked up by Rajasthan Royal in the inaugural edition of the IPL. Shane Warne recognized Jadeja's talent and called him the 'Rockstar' of Indian cricket. He soon made his international debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, and he has gone on to become the ace bowler for the Indian team.

#1 Virat Kohli (2008)

Virat Kohli led the Under-19 Indian team in 2008

Virat Kohli was in superb form in the Under-19 World Cup, scoring 235 runs in 6 matches and also picking up 4 wickets with the ball. His leadership skills were impressive and he showed immense character throughout the tournament.

In the first match, Virat scored 40 runs and picked up 2 wickets. In a group stage match, he scored a sensational 100 runs off 74 balls against West Indies. He played a crucial role in the semi-final against New Zealand, where he picked up two important wickets and scored 43 runs in a low-scoring match.

After a successful stint in the Under-19 World Cup, Kohli got picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008 and since then has become an integral part of the side. He soon made his international debut, against Sri Lanka in 2008 and has gone on to become one of India's greatest ever batsmen.Instantly, he became the most reliable player and is breaking every record with his consistent performance.