Virat Kohli captained India to the under-19 World Cup title in 2008. Soon he was plying his trade for the Royal Challengers Bangalore which made his path to the national team smoother.
Saurabh Tiwary, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi are among several other under-19 cricketers who, on the back of their solid performances as youngsters, got recognition by the IPL franchises and received big bids at the IPL auction.
There are also a number of talented, highly skilful under-19 cricketers in India’s team in the ongoing World Cup.
Here are 5 under-19 stars who are expected to get big bids at IPL 2022 mega auction:
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi is among the under-19 players to watch out for in the IPL should he get a chance. The right-hander is India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament so far with 228 runs in 3 matches. The 16-year Delhi-born slammed a big century, 144 runs, against Uganda after scoring 79 against Ireland.
Harnoor Singh
Harnoor Singh is the other opener. The 18-year-old from Punjab is a hugely talented batsman and an important part of the under-19 team. He top-score with 88 against Ireland, bagging the Man of the Match award, and had stroked a quick century versus Australia in the warm-up game. Harnoor was the Player of the Tournament in India’s triumphant under-19 Asia Cup. He can be a hot pick in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
Raj Bawa
Raj Bawa sent waves down Indian cricket with his scintillating knock of 162* off 108 balls against Uganda, an innings that included 14 fours and 8 sixes, propelling India to a total in excess of 400.
Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Bawa, a middle-order batsman, also provides a handy option of medium pace – he has taken 4 wickets in 3 matches. His all-rounder skillset will be in demand at the auction table.
Vicky Ostwal
Vicky Ostwal, a left-arm orthodox spinner, is currently India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, having snared 7 wickets in 3 games, at a miserly economy of just 3.26. The 19-year-old from Pune snapped a five-wicket haul in the first game against South Africa. With franchises always looking to add variety to their bowling arsenal, Vicky Ostwal could expect a hefty contract in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Rajvardhan Hangargekar is expected to fetch the highest bid among his under-19 teammates, for his offerings are immense. The lanky fast bowler from Maharashtra has taken 4 wickets in 3 games at a terrific average of 15.75, while conceding at 3.5 runs per over.
Also, Hangargekar is known for hitting towering sixes. In his 39* knock off 17 balls against Ireland, the right-hander walloped 5 gigantic sixes and just a solitary four. He has also already played 5 List-A matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 10 wickets. Franchise owners will defiantly go after him in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
Yash Dhull
India under-19 captain Yash Dhull is another highly talented batsman. Dhull has, however, missed out on the last two matches in the World Cup due to covid-19, but before that he had struck three fifties in a row. Last month Dhull captained the side to the under-19 Asia Cup trophy.
