Virat Kohli speaks with India U-19 squad ahead of 2022 Under-19 World Cup final vs England

The India U-19 squad today interacted with star batter Virat Kohli over a video call ahead of the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup final against England.

India beat Australia U-19 by 96 runs in the semi-final on Wednesday to reach the final for the fourth consecutive edition of the U-19 World Cup. This is a record unmatched by any other team.

Squad members Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Kaushal Tambe shared Instagram stories of the team's interactions with former Indian skipper Kohli.

In his story, off-spinner Tambe wrote:

"Some valuable tips from the G.O.A.T before the finals!"

Hangargekar wrote:

"It was really good to interact with you Virat Kohli bhaiyaa. Learnt some really important things about life and cricket from you which will help us in getting better in upcoming times."

Rajvardhan Hangargekar shared a screenshot of an interaction with Virat Kohli on his Instagram story.

Kohli, of course, has been one of the most prolific batters in the world since he burst onto the international scene, as well as a very successful captain. However, he first made a mark when he led India to the U-19 World Cup title in 2008.

---

Yash Dhull, Shaik Rasheed power India U-19 to final with brilliant partnership

After winning the toss and opting to bat, India U-19 were in trouble when they went down to 37/2 in the 13th over.

However, captain Yash Dhull and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed stitched a magnificent 204-run partnership to bring India back from the brink and put up a competitive total. Dhull scored 110, while Rasheed made 94.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Nishant Sindhu and Dinesh Bana helped India U-19 finish strong, with the latter two milking 27 runs off the final over. They ultimately ended on a total of 290/5.

India's spinners then did the rest in the second innings as Australia were bowled out for 194. Vicky Ostwal picked up three wickets while Sindhu claimed two scalps. Pacer Ravi Kumar also took two wickets.

India will now face England in the summit clash on Saturday in Antigua.