The ongoing IPL has provided an opportunity for many youngsters to showcase their skills and possibly jump the queue for bigger assignments.
The IPL is ultimately all about giving young Indian cricketers a platform to express themselves and also learn from the greatest players and cricketing minds in the world. And it is just what India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team needed.
The Prithvi Shaw-led Indian side dominated the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier in the year with stellar performances from Shaw himself, top-order batsman Shubman Gill and fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi.
The tournament was seen a true test of what the teenagers are made of. However, as we reach the final stages of IPL 2018, only Shaw has had a meaningful campaign.
It started on a horrible note for express quick and Kolkata Knight Riders player Nagarkoti as he was ruled out of the 11th edition of the IPL due to a foot injury.
Next up, top-order batsman Gill – playing for KKR – finally got going this season after a couple of failures. He hit a fifty against Chennai Super Kings before picking up a mystery injury that kept him out of the match against Mumbai that his team lost by 102 runs.
There was no update from @KKRiders on Shivam Mavi’s injury status despite repeated inquiries from us journalists yesterday. He was seen bowling at the nets but the lack of clarity hit one and all. The promising U-19 pacer is dropped today leaving us a bit bewildered. #KKRvMI
— Debayan Mukherjee (@Deb_spojourno) May 9, 2018
Completing the grim picture is the finger injury to Mavi that sidelined him for two matches. The Knight Riders fast bowler was supposed to be fit for the previous game against Mumbai but was not selected. He has bowled admirably without any great results, picking up just three wickets from seven games.
Shaw is the only U19 star who has made an impact this season. Batting at the top of the order for Delhi Daredevils, Shaw has scored 214 runs from six games and has played some audacious strokes against world-class bowlers to show that he is destined for greater things.
However, for Shaw’s U19 colleagues, it has been a far from ideal IPL.
