5 Indian U-19 cricket stars who went off the radar

The U-19 World Cup is the ideal launchpad for budding young cricketers where they play against fellow young talents of different countries and play in front of huge live audiences. It serves as the perfect rehearsal of what's to follow in international cricket.The tournament has produced many stars who have reached great heights with the senior team in international cricket. The stars of previous U-19 World Cups range from the likes of Brian Lara, Inzamam Ul Haq, Sanath Jayasuriya to India’s own Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli etc. and many more.Here we have a look at Indian players who were stars during their U-19 World Cup campaign, but gradually became forgotten.

#1 Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma was one of the players who had the rare distinction of playing in two U-19 World Cups (2002 and 2004). He was India’s leading wicket-taker in both the editions with 14 wickets in 2002 and 12 wickets in 2004.

An astounding fact is that Abhishek Sharma is the third highest wicket-taker overall in U-19 World Cup history, only 1 wicket behind Australia’s Moises Henriques who is top of the list. He had a pretty decent outing in his Ranji career picking up 30 wickets in 16 matches, but could not really seal a permanent place in his state side.

He later joined the Indian Cricket League.

#2 Myluahanan Senthilnathan

Myluahanan Senthilnathan is not a name which people have forgotten, but it’s a name most people do not even know. Senthilnathan was the captain of the Indian team in the 1st edition of U-19 World Cup in 1988. The Indian team had a difficult tournament, winning only 3 of the 7 matches and did not make it to the semifinals. Senthilnathan was the leading run-scorer for the Indian team in the tournament.

He played first-class cricket for 8 years but could not make a big enough impression to catch the eye of the national selectors. He scored 1615 runs in 37 Ranji matches playing for Tamil Nadu and later Goa. From being captain of the U-19 team to a forgotten name, Senthilnathan’s career took a big dip.

#3 Amit Bhandari

Amit Bhandari was a member of the Indian team which took part in the 1998 U-19 Cricket World Cup. This was the second edition of the tournament. Bhandari was India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament. He picked up 11 wickets at a very impressive average of 15.18 and was by far the best Indian bowler in the tournament.

Bhandari got his deserved debut with the senior team in the year 2000 against Pakistan, but he had a forgettable match as he went for plenty of runs. He played his second ODI 4 years later and it turned out to be his last match.

Bhandari continued to perform well in the Ranji Trophy, picking up regular wickets, but a recall to the national side never happened. He finished his Ranji career with 314 wickets.

#4 Gaurav Dhiman

Gaurav Dhiman played two U-19 World Cups (2004 and 2006). He was a genuine all-rounder, who could open both the batting and the bowling. In the 2004 edition, when he was just 17, despite not setting the tournament on fire, he made some very useful contributions with bat and ball.

In the 2006 edition, though, he was the most experienced player in the side and had a great tournament where he scored 222 runs at an average of 44 and picked up 4 wickets as well. His knock 105 of just 75 balls in the final of the U-19 Afro-Asian Cup against South Africa in 2005 made everyone sit up and take notice.

But he was not able to establish himself in the domestic circuit. He was seen more of a player suitable for the shorter formats where he could score quick runs. His career slowly faded away and playing for Indian senior side became a distant dream.

#5 Manish Sharma

Manish Sharma was part of the Indian team which won the U-19 World Cup in 2000. His fellow teammates Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif soon found a place in the Indian senior side, but Sharma went nowhere. It is quite astonishing that Sharma was India’s leading run-scorer in that edition with 257 runs at an average of 42.83.

His performances in limited overs cricket were better than his showing in Ranji Trophy matches. Playing for Punjab, he scored 727 runs in 17 innings in List A cricket. But given the competition for places in the Indian senior team, he couldn’t make it big. Soon, he found himself out of favour for his state side as well.

In 2007, he joined the controversial Indian Cricket League.