Unmukt could feel cup in hand 3 days ago

"I can feel the Cup in my hands" -- this was Unmukt Chand's BBM status a good 72 hours before he led India to their third Under-19 cricket World Cup trophy in Townsville, Australia today.

"I can feel the Cup in my hands" -- this was Unmukt Chand's BBM status a good 72 hours before he led India to their third Under-19 cricket World Cup trophy in Townsville, Australia on Sunday.

HT Image

Chand smashed an unbeaten 111 as India chased down a challenging 226-run target against defending champions Australia in the final to win their third title

But much before he actually did the magic for his team, Chand had the feeling that the trophy would come India's way.

"'ICC under-19 World Cup nothing else matters and I can feel the Cup in my hands'. This was his Blackberry Messenger status for the past three days," his father Bharat Chand Thakur told reporters after the triumph.

"They should be groomed further and should not be allowed to go haywire," he said when asked about how he looks at the future of his son and the other under-19 players after the big triumph.

India won the title after a gap of four years, having bagged the title previously in 2000 and 2008.

Talking about Unmukt, Thakur said the young batsman is a firm believer in god and that helps his game as well.

"He has faith in god and his teammates and this has helped him," he said.