Six India U-19 World Cup winning stars who can break into senior side

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  • Ishan Porel is one for the future for India.

    India created history in the ICC U19 World Cup on Saturday as they became the first side to lift the crown four times.

    The Boys in Blue thumped Australia by eight wickets in the final to complete a fairytale tournament where they were undefeated throughout.

    Coached by Rahul Dravid, the legendary batsmen’s cool and calm temperament reflected in Prithvi Shaw and his troop’s displays over the past month where they swept aside every opposition before them.

    As such, we look at the five players from the title-winning team who look poised to play for the senior India side someday.

    PRITHVI SHAW

    The skipper seems tailor-made for Test cricket with his penchant for playing the long innings. Shaw started the tournament with a bang, scoring an unbeaten 94 against Australia, and followed it up with a 57 against Papua New Guinea. He tapered off towards the end of the World Cup as he failed to make the most of his starts but nevertheless, his credentials remain solid.

    Having already scored five first-class tons for Mumbai in his debut season in the Ranji Trophy, Shaw seems destined to play Test cricket for India.

    Shaw seems destined to play Test cricket for India someday.

    Shaw seems destined to play Test cricket for India someday.

    SHUBMAN GILL

    Though he might have had a quiet final, Shubman Gill has been the indisputable star of India’s World Cup campaign. With scores of 63, 90, 86 and a sparkling ton against Pakistan in the semi-final win, Shaw’s deputy has shown that he is the man for the big occasion.

    With a touch of Virat Kohli about him with the way he uses his bottom hand and wrists, the right-handed batsman has already proved his class at the first-class level with a fifty in his first match and a century in his second. Winner of the BCCI Junior cricketer of the year award for two consecutive years in 2013 and 2014, it should not be long before we seem Shubman in the senior ranks.

    Shubman averages over 100 in youth ODI cricket!

    Shubman averages over 100 in youth ODI cricket!

    ANUKUL ROY

    Anukul Roy finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in his six games. In doing so, he became the first Indian player to achieve the feat in the tournament’s history.

    What was even more impressive was Roy’s extremely accurate leg-spin bowling, similar to Ravindra Jadeja’s, which made him hard to get away for the batsmen. His impressive strike-rate of 14 and an average of just nine indicate that he is the complete package.

    Like Jadeja, Roy is also a handy lower-order batsman.

    Roy's consistency and accuracy make him an exciting prospect.

    Roy’s consistency and accuracy make him an exciting prospect.

    KAMLESH NAGARKOTI

    With nine wickets in the tournament, Nagarkoti might not have set the world alight in terms of numbers but his performances were enough to indicate that he is set for big things to come.

    Clocking over 145kph, the left-armer’s raw pace make him a rarity in Indian cricket and he will already have been earmarked by the BCCI as one for the future. Nagarkoti has all the tools to be India’s pace mainstay in the years to come. It now depends on the BCCI as to how they groom him for international cricket.

    Nagarkoti made head turns with his pace.

    Nagarkoti made head turns with his pace.

    ISHAN POREL

    Injury troubles meant Ishan Porel did not feature much in the group stages as Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi stole the show for India. However, come the business end of the tournament, it was Porel who ended up as India’s main threat in pace.

    The Bengal bowler came into his own in the crucial semi-final against arch-rivals Pakistan with a four-wicket burst that triggered a collapse. He has already picked up a five-for for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy having played only three matches.

    Not blessed with the raw pace of Nagarkoti and Mavi, Porel has a knack of landing the ball in the right areas to trouble batsmen.

    Porel relies more on seam movement and accuracy.

    Porel relies more on seam movement and accuracy.

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