India’s 2008 U-19 world cup winning team, and where they are right now. The U-19 world is a good platform for youngsters to showcase their raw and unique talent. It’s almost like a trial match, where selectors get to see how well you play and whether you have the right talent and mindset to make it to the big league. The U-19 World cup, also allows IPL teams to take a glimpse at the different players available and choose them accordingly to their specific skills and talent.
Winning the U-19 world cup is a huge achievement, it is a major boo to your career, and is also a step in the right direction. The young players build responsibility and also become more committed to their careers.
India is the tournament’s most successful team, having won it a record 4 times, but none of them is as iconic as the 2008 World Cup-winning squad. Today, we will be looking at the players present in that famous world cup winning 11, and if their careers took off as expected. (These are the players who played the majority of the games and not the entire squad.)
THE CLASS OF 08…….. INDIA’S U19 WORLD CUP WINNING SQUAD AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Taruwar Kohli:
Yes, there were two Kohli’s in the squad, but sadly only one of them went on to conquer the international stage. Taruwar however though did have an impressive tournament. He scored 218 runs and hit 3 consecutive half-centuries. However, even after his impressive performances at the U-19 World cup, Taruwar couldn’t crack into the national squad. He is a regular for Punjab on the domestic level and is one of their main players, but after seeing his raw talent, many would have taught he could have achieved more.
Tanmay Srivastava:
Tanmay was the tournament’s to soccer and had an extremely impressive time with the bat. He scored 262 runs and hit one century. His batting prowess played a really important role for India in their initial stages.
However, after such a successful tournament, Tanmay could not keep the momentum going. He had a decent career at the domestic level but did not do any wonders. He was pretty disappointing at the IPL as well. Tanmay announced his retirement from all formats of the game in October 2020.
Manish Pandey:
Manish Pandy holds the record for being the first Indian to score a century in the IPL. Manish has played for 5 different teams in the IPL and is currently with Sunrisers Hyderabad, with whom he looks to have a cemented a place in the playing 11.
Manish has represented India at the International level, he has played 26 ODI matches and 39 T20 games. He hasn’t been a regular in the team, but when called, he manages to perform well. You could say, he has done well with his career.
Iqbal Abdulla:
Iqbal Abdulla was the joint leading wicket-taker for India. He took 10 wickets in 6 games and really impressed with the ball. Iqbal had a very impressive start to his IPL career as well, in his first proper season, he managed to win the IPL emerging player award. However, after that things changed quite a bit.
Iqbal never really cemented a place in the starting lineup for any IPL franchise, and he last played for RCB in 2017. He couldn’t break through on the international stage as well and is currently playing for Mumbai at the domestic level.
Pradeep Sangwan:
Pradeep Sangwan will forever be remembered as the player, that destroyed the South African U-19 team. His medium-pace bowling left many batsmen extremely confused and he managed to pick up 5 wickets in that single match. However, after this insane moment, Pradeep’s career took a hit.
During the 2013 edition of the IPL, Pradeep was tested positive for a banned substance, he was banned for 18 months and then returned back to the Ranji Trophy. He has since then gone on a play well and is currently in Mumbai Indian.s squad. So, his career took a complete turn around.
Siddarth Kaul:
The Punjab-born right-arm bowler did have a pretty decent career after his successful time at the U-19 tournament. He impressed at the IPL and is one of SRH’s main players. Even currently, he is one of SRH’s main players and acts as a perfect understudy to Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
Kaul has also represented India at the international level. He has played 3 ODI matches and 2 T2o matches. Still, only 30, if Kaul manages to replicate his 2016 IPL form, he will soon get another call to play for the national team.
Ajitesh Argal:
Ajitesh was declared as the man of the match in the final, for his impressive 2 for 7. However, after this extremely high point, Ajitesh’s career took a toll. He could not break into the domestic scene, because of his disappointing performances, and was left out of the team. As of now, Ajithesh is an Inspector in the Income Tax department.
Saurabh Tiwary:
Saurabh Tiwary was one of the main players of the U-19 squad. He has a pretty interesting career so far. He showed us his true potential during the 2010 edition of the IPL, his performances earned him the IPL emerging player award. Since then, Saurabh has been on and off with his performances. He is still playing for Mumbai but is not included in the playing 11.
Tiwary has played for India at the International level, but he wasn’t able to perform well and was soon dropped from the squad. Tiwari can still manage a comeback, provided he stays focused and committed.
Ravindra Jadeja:
Jadeja was the vice-captain of the team, and he impressed everyone with the bat and ball. He is a regular for India and is one of the best all-rounders in the world. You can 100% depend on Jadeja to perform with the bat and ball. He has also had a really impressive IPL career and is one of CSK’s main players. It is safe to say, Jadeja did make it.
Virat Kohli:
Do I have to say anything? One of the best batsmen in the world, Virat was the captain of the squad, and currently, he is the captain of the national team. All of us are aware of how talented Virat Kohli is, and even if you don’t like the man, you have to admit he is one of the greatest. I don’t think there is anything more to say about him, he made, and he made it big.
These are the players from India’s famous U-19 winning squad. It’s easy to lose focus at such a young age, but let’s hope that, the players in the current junior level teams, know their priorities and work hard towards them.
