OPINION
Follow UsThe Indian Premier League auction is not all about getting hold of well-established Indian and overseas stars but it’s also about building your team for the future. If some of the reports are to be believed, we won’t have any mega auction after this year unless more new teams emerge and the franchises would be eager to get hold of some young and upcoming talents keeping the future in mind. The 2022 Under-19 World Cup just got over and it was once again India who emerged victorious. There were some impressive talents on display during the showpiece event and all the franchises would have surely kept their eyes on some of the individuals.
Here, we look at players from the latest edition of the Under-19 World Cup who could get picked in the forthcoming IPL auction, which will be held in Bangalore on February 12 and 13.
Yash Dhull
Virat Kohli in 2008, Unmukt Chand in 2012 and Prithvi Shaw in 2018 - these three hogged most of the limelight after India won the Under-19 World Cup under their leadership, and this time around, all eyes will be on Dhull. The middle-order batter from Delhi had to miss out on two group-stage encounters after testing positive for Covid but the 19-year-old still managed to stamp his authority in the tournament. He played a crucial knock of 82 in the first game against South Africa, while the other Indian batters struggled to get going. Dhull was the only Indian batter to cross the 40-run mark. It was him who propelled India to a respectable total of 232 before the bowling unit took over and bundled out South Africa for 187.
He didn’t play against Ireland and Uganda but finished the game against Bangladesh, staying unbeaten on 20. However, the best was yet to come as Dhull smashed a stunning century (110-ball 110) against Australia in the semifinal after India had lost their openers cheaply. He put on a 204-run partnership with Rasheed and batted Australia out of the contest. Dhull has the experience of leading Delhi’s U-16, U-19, and India ‘A’ U-19 sides and was quite impressive with his bowling changes and field placements during the World Cup. Dhull has a good head on his shoulders and the franchises would be eager to invest in him, especially keeping the future in mind.
Raj Bawa
An Indian fast-bowling allrounder… Do we need to say more? Bawa was phenomenal in the Under-19 World Cup and was named player of the match in the grand finale for his all-round performance. The right-arm paceman claimed 5/31 - the best bowling figures for any player in an Under-19 World Cup final - and dismantled England with his pace and bounce. In the run chase, Bawa chipped in with a handy knock of 35. He started the competition with a four-wicket haul against South Africa and when some of the key Indian batters were not available, Bawa was promoted up the order and the left-hander responded with a knock of 162* against Uganda - the highest score for an Indian batter in the history of the Under-19 World Cup.
Bawa comes from a proper sporting family. His grandfather Tarlochan Singh Bawa was part of the 1948 Olympics gold medal-winning Indian hockey team, while his father Sukhwinder Bawa happens to be the coach of former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. There are not too many Indian fast-bowling allrounders in the mix and that will give Bawa and Rajvardhan Hangargekar an added advantage going into the auction.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Hangargekar might not have as impressive numbers as Bawa but the well-built allrounder from Maharashtra played his part in the World Cup. The right-arm paceman took only five wickets in the showpiece event but impressed everyone with his pace and hostility. Hangargekar operated at an economy of just 3.67 and allowed other Indian bowlers to be more attacking. He is someone who can bowl those heavy lengths and keep the batter on the back foot. The 19-year-old was promoted up the order against Ireland and the right-handed dasher slammed 39* off 17 deliveries, a knock studded with five maximums.
It’s not surprising that Hangargekar has already made his List A and T20 debut for Maharashtra. You have a well-built fast bowler who can also smash sixes down the order, that’s a rare breed in Indian cricket. Known as Marathwada Express, Hangargekar was astonishing in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Challenger Trophy, picking up 23 wickets in 11 encounters. On top of that, he also smacked 236 runs at a strike rate of more than 135. He smoked 17 sixes in 11 encounters, not bad for someone who mostly bats at No. 8. It won't come as a surprise if Hangargekar emerges as the most expensive player from the current Under-19 batch.
Dewald Brevis
You know there’s something special about this lad if he is one of the only two uncapped overseas in the final auction list. The right-handed batter from South Africa initially caught the world’s attention for possessing a batting style strikingly similar to that of AB de Villiers, but by the end of the World Cup, Brevis had heads turning through the sheer weight of runs he scored. He was named Player of the Tournament for his record-breaking 506-run campaign, Brevis, at 18, is currently the talk of the town. Oh, he also picked up seven wickets with his legspin. The No. 3 batter managed scores of 65, 104, 96, 97, 6 and 138 in the competition and amassed the most number of runs in a single edition of the Under-19 World Cup, going past Shikhar Dhawan's tally of 505 runs in 2004.
"I can adjust to game situations. If necessary, I can stay in for a long time and catch up at the end. My brother Reinardt says I play a fearless game, but I am not reckless. It’s a good summary of who I am as a batter. I would love to be in the IPL and learn from top players. The reality is that you can’t choose who to play for in the IPL. It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the IPL," he recently told Cricket.com.
* Flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Bana is not part of the final list because he doesn't fulfill the criteria set by the BCCI. According to the rules, a player must have played at least one first-class or List A game or must have turned 19 before the auction takes place. The 17-year-old only faced 33 deliveries in the entire World Cup but still managed to smash 63 runs at a stunning strike rate of 190.90. Bana smoked 20* off four deliveries in the semifinal against Australia and then slammed two consecutive sixes to get India over the line in the grand finale against England. In one of the Challenger Trophy encounters prior to the World Cup, the right-hander clobbered 170 off 98 deliveries. He was also superb behind the stumps and could prove to be an underrated pick if the BCCI decides to make an exception considering there was hardly any domestic cricket played because of the pandemic.
* Just like Bana, Nishant Sindhu too is not part of the main list. A son of a former state-level boxer from Rohtak, the spin-bowling allrounder even captained India in the two league-stage encounters against Ireland and Uganda in the absence of skipper Dhull and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed. The left-arm spinner claimed five wickets in the World Cup and conceded runs at an economy of just over three. On top of that, Sindhu also scored 140 runs at an average of 46.66 and a strike rate of 93.33. The left-handed batter played a couple of crucial cameos in the group-stage and then crafted 50* off 54 deliveries in the final against England. It was under him, Haryana clinched the last edition of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy - their first Under-19 title in 19 years - and the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2019.
