On Tuesday, all eyes from the subcontinent will be on the Hagley Oval in Christchurch as India and Pakistan battle it out in the second semi-final of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup.
Both the arch-rivals have great pedigree in the history of the prestigious tournament. India are tied along with Australia as the most successful team in the competition with three titles while Pakistan have two to their name.
As the two sets of youngsters get ready to take the pitch, they do not have to look too far for inspiration. Numerous players from India’s and Pakistan’s U-19 World Cup squads have made it big at the senior level further down the track.
Here, we take a look at five such players from both sides who first made their mark at the tournament.
VIRAT KOHLI (INDIA)
The Indian skipper and arguably the greatest batsman going around currently in all formats created headlines in 2008 when he led the Men in Blue to their second U-19 World Cup title. Kohli’s boy beat their South African counterparts in the finals at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
As skipper of the side, Kohli’s star was born in the tournament and there has been no looking back since for him as he continues to etch his names in record books. His talent was clear to see even then when his man-of-the-match performance saw India creep over the line in the semi-finals against a New Zealand side which included the likes of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Corey Anderson.
Kohli was the player of the match in the semi-finals against New Zealand.
SARFRAZ AHMED (PAKISTAN)
Kohli’s Pakistan counterpart Sarfraz Ahmed’s career has followed a similar trajectory. Sarfraz was the skipper of the Pakistan side in the 2006 edition of the U-19 World Cup where he led his country to the title after beating arch-rivals India in the finals at Colombo. In the process, Pakistan became the first and only team which has successfully defended their crown ever since the tournament’s inception in 1988.
Sarfraz’s boys successfully defended a paltry score of 109 in the finals against India, bowling the opposition containing Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Piyush Chawla for just 71 runs.
Sarfraz’s Pakistan created history by successfully defending their crown.
RAVINDRA JADEJA (INDIA)
The ace Indian left-arm spinner has played in two separate U-19 World Cups, in 2006 and 2008. In 2006, he ended up as the runners-up as Pakistan swept their second title. Two years later, there would be no stopping Jadeja from getting the winners medal as he formed a vital cog in Kohli’s title-winning side.
It was on the back of his performances in the 2008 edition that Jadeja was picked by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. The rest as they say is history and Jadeja has now established himself as one of the premier spinners in international cricket.
Jadeja’s star rose quickly after the World Cup.
IMAD WASIM (PAKISTAN)
In Sarfraz’s title-winning team of 2006, a certain young left-arm spinner named Imad Wasim was making a name for himself. Imad is now a permanent fixture in the senior limited-overs side and was awarded the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) T20I player of the year last year.
The Wales-born cricketer’s accurate leg-spin has seen him prosper in the T20 format and he is the current skipper of the Karachi Kings outfit in the Pakistan Super League.
It was the Pakistan quicks like Anwar Ali who stood out in the 2006 triumph though Imad’s unquestionable talent was there for all to see.
Imad Wasim (L) has come a long way since the 2006 edition.
ROHIT SHARMA (INDIA)
Virat Kohli’s deputy in the limited-overs side also had a taste of the U-19 World Cup when he was a part of the Ravikanth Shukla led side which finished runners-up to Sarfraz’s Pakistan.
In six innings during the tournament, Rohit scored 205 runs at an average of 41 with three-half centuries to boot. It was a phase where the dashing batsman could bowl a bit too and he picked up four wickets at an average of 8.75.
Now regarded as one of the best players in the ODI format with a world-record three double tons, Rohit’s journey to stardom started with the 2006 edition.
Rohit Sharma’s India went down to Pakistan in the finals of the 2006 edition.
