OPINION
Follow UsIndia got the better of England in the grand finale of the 2022 Under-19 World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua on Saturday (February 5) and won their fifth title. The Boys in Blue looked head and shoulders above the rest and remained undefeated throughout the mega event. Hence, it’s not surprising that we have got four Indian players in our team of the tournament. However, there were many others from different countries who displayed their skills and forced everyone to sit up and take notice.
So, here’s Cricket.com’s team of the 2022 Under-19 World Cup.
Haseebullah Khan (wk)
(Innings 6 | Runs 380 | Average 76 | Strike Rate 80.85 | 100s/50s 1/2)
The wicketkeeper-batter from Pakistan ended the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer. The left-handed opener started the competition with a stunning century against Zimbabwe and ended it on a similar note, slamming his second hundred against Sri Lanka. Haseebullah slammed 135 off 155 deliveries against Zimbabwe and helped Pakistan start their campaign with a 115-run win. He didn’t do much in the next three encounters but crafted 79 against Bangladesh before scoring 136 against Sri Lanka in the 5th Place Play-off. No other opener smashed more sixes than Haseebullah (10), and on top of that, he also finished with eight catches and two stumpings.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
(Innings 6 | Runs 278 | Average 46.33 | Strike Rate 89.38 | 100s/50s 1/1)
The 16-year-old opener from India didn’t fire in the semifinal and final but played a key role in the previous three games to help his team get to that stage. Australian opener Teague Wyllie too scored the same amount of runs but Raghuvanshi did it at a much better strike rate (72.15 v 89.38). The right-hander got out cheaply against South Africa but crafted 79 against Ireland in the second league-stage game before smoking 144 off 120 deliveries against Uganda. India didn’t have a couple of their key batters for these two matches because of Covid but Raghuvanshi took ownership and ensured India didn’t feel the absence of their skipper Yash Dhull and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed. And, his knock of 44 against Bangladesh in the quarterfinal was as important as his previous two innings. India were only chasing 111 but the surface at the Coolidge Cricket Ground was very difficult to bat on.
Dewald Brevis
(Innings 6 | Runs 506 | Batting Average 84.33 | 100s/50s 2/3 | Wickets 7 | Bowling Average 28.57)
The right-handed batter 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, South Africa’s 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 am just keeping my feet on the ground, it’s been a memorable few weeks in the West Indies. It was tough to cut all the noise around me, I do think that it helped to challenge and develop the mental side of my game,” he told Cricket.com.
Yash Dhull (c)
(Innings 4 | Runs 229 | Average 76.33 | Strike Rate 85.44 | 100s/50s 1/1)
The Indian captain 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. The right-handed batter 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. As a captain, Dhull was phenomenal with his bowling changes.
Tom Prest
(Innings 6 | Runs 292 | Batting Average 58.4 | 100s/50s 1/1 | Wickets 5 | Bowling Average 31.8)
Amongst batters who scored at least 200 runs in the tournament, only four had a strike rate of more than 100 and England captain Prest was one of them. The 18-year-old emerged as the third-highest run-getter and he got those runs at a pretty solid strike rate (102.45). The right-handed batter slammed 93 against Canada and then followed it up with a knock of 154* off 119 deliveries against the UAE. Just like Dhull, Prest led his team from the front and helped England qualify for the final after 24 years. If needed, Prest can also chip in with his offspin.
Dunith Wellalage
(Innings 6 | Runs 264 | Batting Average 44 | 100s/50s 1/1 | Wickets 17 | Bowling Average 13.58)
We already have two captains in the side but it was impossible to look past Sri Lankan skipper Wellalage while picking the team of the tournament. The left-arm spinner claimed back-to-back five-wicket hauls in the first two matches and then followed it up with a couple of three-fors. He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, and on top of that, Wellalage also scored a match-winning century against South Africa in the Super League play-off game. Prior to that, he also crafted a half-century against Australia. Wellalage became only the second player after Kenya’s Thomas Odoyo (1998) to score 250 runs and pick up 15 wickets in the single edition of the Under-19 World Cup.
Raj Bawa
(Matches 6 | Runs 252 | Batting Average 63 | 100s/50s 1/0 | Wickets 9 | Bowling Average 16.66)
The fast-bowling allrounder had a tournament to remember 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.
Vicky Ostwal
(Innings 6 | Wickets 12 | Average 13.33 | Strike Rate 22 | Economy Rate 3.63)
The left-arm spinner from India scalped a wicket in every single game apart from the final, only because seamers Bawa and Ravi Kumar shared nine wickets between them. Ostwal was super consistent with line and length and started the tournament with a bang, picking up a five-wicket haul against South Africa. He took a wicket each against Ireland and Uganda and then scalped 2/25 and 3/42 against Bangladesh and Australia in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively. What’s more, he only batted in one innings, but Ostwal is also a handy hitter down the order. England legspinner Rehan Ahmed (12 wickets) and Afghanistan left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote (11 wickets) were also superb throughout the tournament.
Ripon Mondol
(Innings 6 | Wickets 14 | Average 15 | Strike Rate 21.2 | Economy Rate 4.22)
The right-arm paceman took two four-wicket hauls in the showpiece event and was the one who bowled those tough overs for Bangladesh. Mondol took eight wickets in the group stage but his best performance came against India in the quarterfinal. The Bangladesh batting unit only managed 111 in the first innings but Mondol bowled his heart out and almost single-handedly kept the pressure on India. Dhull and Co. lost five wickets in the run-chase and four of those came from Mondol. Only three other bowlers took more wickets than Mondol in the World Cup.
Awais Ali
(Innings 6 | Wickets 15 | Average 15.8 | Strike Rate 20.2 | Economy Rate 4.67)
The 16-year-old paceman took 6/56 in Pakistan’s first match of the tournament against Zimbabwe and that ended up registering the best bowling figure in this edition of the competition. Barring one match against Papua New Guinea, Awais picked up at least one wicket in every single game. He was slightly more expensive than some other Pakistani bowlers but made up for it by taking wickets at regular intervals. We have enough bowlers in this XI who can bowl with good discipline and that will give fie Awais the license to go for wickets without thinking too much about leaking runs.
Joshua Boyden
(Innings 6 | Wickets 15 | Average 9.86 | Strike Rate 18.4 | Economy Rate 3.21)
The left-arm paceman from England was arguably the best seamer in the tournament. Amongst bowlers who picked up at least seven wickets in the competition, the 17-year-old was the only one with an average of less than 10. Boyden claimed nine wickets in the powerplay and constantly gave England early breakthroughs throughout the World Cup. He commenced the tournament with a couple of four-wicket hauls and picked up at least one wicket in every single game. Boyden, who took 2/24 in the finale against India, will provide this team that much-needed variety with his left-arm seam.
