Led by a charismatic 19-year-old captain, Unmukt Chand, India lifted their third U-19 Cricket World Cup on August 26 in 2012, defeating hosts Australia by six wickets in the final.
With the victory, India, along with Australia, who too have three U-19 titles, became the most successful team in the tournament’s history. The triumph, however, was more special, especially for captain Chand as it was India’s first World Cup win outside Asia.
Slotted in Group C, the competition began on an all-time low for India, as they lost their opening round of fixture against West Indies by four wickets.
However, two back-to-back victories over Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea ensured India’s place in the quarter-final, where arch-rivals Pakistan awaited. Riding on the back of Babar Azam’s half-century, Pakistan could only manage a mere 136 in 45 overs. A fine show by Baba Aparajith somehow guided India to a marginal victory (by one wicket), as India began their preparations for the semi-final.
Facing New Zealand in the round, Prashant Chopra’s half century followed by two wickets each for Sandeep Sharma, Ravikanth Singh and Harmeet Singh were enough for India to guarantee a place in the final.
Unbeaten enroute to the final, Australia were riding high on confidence. However, a four-wicket haul by Sandeep Sharma restricted the host to 225, with Will Bosisto playing a crucial unbeaten knock of 87 off 120 deliveries.
As for India, they lost their first wicket in only the second over, and as their innings reached the halfway point (25th over), they found themselves four down at 97 runs. This is when skipper Chand along with Smit Patel shift the gears. Playing a 130-run stand, India defeated Australia by six wickets in Townsville, with Chand remaining unbeaten at 111 (seven 4s, six 6s). Patel, on the other hand, too remained unbeaten, scoring an 84-ball 62.
It has been seven years since the triumph, and you might be wondering which player from the team actually got a senior cap after the World Cup. Well, to your surprise, only Hanuma Vihari and Sandeep Sharma have got the nod so far. And while the former has played five Tests, since making his debut in 2018 against England, the later has only been a part of two T20Is for India.
Chand, on the other hand, has been an in and out personell in the Indian T20 League over the years. Having made his debut for the Delhi franchise in 2011, the right-handed batsman failed to replicate his World Cup form in the sixth edition (2012) of the tournament. In seven matches for Delhi, the now 26-year-old scored only 61 before being brought by team Rajasthan for the seventh edition. In 2015, he joined team Mumbai, but had to do with a bench role due to inconsistent performances.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @MazherArshad
