Exactly 14 years ago, Virat Kohli found himself in a position Yash Dhull is in currently. In March of 2008, a 19-year-old Kohli and his team of youngsters reached the pinnacle of world cricket as India lifted the Under-19 World Cup. Today, Kohli is a superstar of Indian cricket, a successful captain who has scored over 20000 international runs, and hence it was only fitting for him to enlighten the India Under-19 youngsters currently in the West Indies seeking World Cup glory.
Two days ahead of the all-important Under-19 World Cup final between India and England, the Indian colts up to a pleasant surprise, with the likes of Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Kaushal Tambe, skipper Dhull and many more getting a chance to interact with their idol Kohli. It is not yet known who took the decision to arrange this, but whoever it was pulled off a masterstroke.
The entire team gathered over a Zoom call, also attended by India Under-19 coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar. The moment was cherished and equally savoured by the Boys in Blue, with a couple of them sharing screenshots of their conversation with the former India captain.
"It was really good to interact with you Virat Kohli bhaiya. Learnt some important things about life and cricket from you which will help us in getting better in upcoming times," Hangargekar wrote as part of his Instagram story, while spinner Tambe wrote: "Some valuable tips from the GOAT before the final."
Although the exact details of the interaction haven't been revealed, rest assured, Kohli, like Dravid did with the 2018 Under-19 team, would have spoken to the youngsters to keep themselves and their feet grounded and focus on the job at hand. With the IPL 2022 mega-auction approaching, and several promising players already attracting the attention of franchises, it is easy to get carried away with the temptation of playing the Indian Premier League, and that is where Kohli's influence promises to come in handy.
{{/usCountry}}Although the exact details of the interaction haven't been revealed, rest assured, Kohli, like Dravid did with the 2018 Under-19 team, would have spoken to the youngsters to keep themselves and their feet grounded and focus on the job at hand. With the IPL 2022 mega-auction approaching, and several promising players already attracting the attention of franchises, it is easy to get carried away with the temptation of playing the Indian Premier League, and that is where Kohli's influence promises to come in handy.
{{/usCountry}}The stage is set for a blockbuster clash between India and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. India, who with a 96-run win over Australia reached their fourth straight final and seek a fifth Under-19 World Cup title, have been on fire and quite easily the team to beat in the tournament. Despite being hit by Covid and some of its high-profile players not available for a few matches, the Indian colts remained unbeaten in the tournament en route to reaching the final.