A battle of rising icons
As the ICC U-19 World Cup progresses in South Africa, one can see glimpses of the future in the world of cricket. On Day 3 of the tournament, Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe through DLS method in a rain-affected contest in Kimberley, and New Zealand registered a convincing win over the resilient Nepal. Before that, India, England and Pakistan trumped Bangladesh, Scotland and Afghanistan, respectively, to register their inaugural wins in this edition of the tournament. On Day 1, the hosts defeated the West Indies, and Ireland won against the United States of America (USA). The ICC U-19 World Cup 2024 features a novel format. A total of 41 matches is slated to take place in the tournament featuring sixteen teams. During the group stages, the teams will be organized into four groups of four each. Following this, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, commencing on January 30. The Super Six stage will consist of two groups, each comprising six teams, competing to identify the Semi-Finalists and ultimately the Finalists. Concurrently, the teams finishing at the bottom will engage in placement games to ascertain their positions from 13th to 16th. The defending champions, India — placed with Bangladesh, Ireland and the USA in group A — is playing its fifth consecutive final in ICC U-19 World Cup. India has thus far been the most successful team in the history of the tournament, winning five titles in total, with the last one coming against England in 2022. In the 2022 World Cup, India had remained unbeaten through the tournament. In fact, in the last 10 years, India have won 32 of 36 matches in U19 World Cups, making for an unmatched winning percentage of 88.89. India’s first title came in the year 2000, with the squad featuring Md. Kaif as the captain and Yuvraj Singh as middle-order batsman. The second trophy was brought by the Virat Kohli-led team in 2008, in which Ravindra Jadeja played as vice-captain. India’s third title came in 2012, with the squad featuring Unmukt Chand as captain. The fourth win came in 2018, with Prithvi Shaw and Shubhman Gill serving as captain and vice-captain, respectively. One thing is notably clear, the tournament has the history of producing all-time great performers in the realm of cricket. This holds true not just for India, but for all international cricket playing nations. This time around, all eyes are on players like Uday Saharan (captain), Arshin Kulkarni, Raj Limbani, Saumy Pandey (vice-captain), Aadarsh Singh, among others. Aadarsh has consistently delivered remarkable batting performances while Raj Limbani surprised everyone by taking 7/13 against Nepal at the ACC U19 Asia Cup. One man who came under spotlight in the match against Bangladesh was Aadarsh Singh who batted elegantly. There are a whole lot of other shining talents from other teams as well. For instance, South Africa’s left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka has marked his arrival, dubbing himself better than Jasprit Bumrah. Bangladesh’s left-arm seamer Maruf Mridha is arguably the most consistent seamer. He also took five wickets in the opening match against India. Undoubtedly, the stage is set for young cricketers across the globe to prove their mettle and suitability for a long and glittering journey that might be waiting ahead. One may recall that some of the best-known names in international cricket had been the stars of U19 World Cups. Big stages, after all, are the best opportunity to prove oneself. The inaugural edition of U19 World Cup, which was claimed by Australia, saw the emergence of legends like Nasser Hussain, Mushtaq Ahmed, Sanath Jayasuriya and Brian Lara. The next edition, which would be held only a decade later, featured Graeme Swann, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Kyle Mills, Shoaib Malik, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, among others. Brendon McCullum, Graeme Smith, Jonathan Trott, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, and Ian Bell are other legends who used U19 World Cups in subsequent editions to launch themselves in International cricket at a bigger stage. The list, of course, is not exhaustive. Undoubtedly, what lies ahead is a thrilling tournament showcasing the emergence of heroes of the future.
