ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 has kickstarted with zest & peps. And one of the most anticipated matches of the day was between the India U19 team & Bangladesh U19 team. The major talking point of the fixture was India’s prolific Captain Uday Pratap Saharan.
Who is Uday Pratap Saharan?
India’s promising & talented Captain, Uday Pratap Saharan was born in Ganganagar Rajasthan. He began his cricketing journey at the age of 14. To fasten his cricketing career Uday Sharan had relocated to Punjab. He then represented Punjab in the U-14, U-16, and U-19 categories. His standout performance in the U19 Challengers Trophy 2023 in Guwahati helepd him to get the captaincy of the India D Team after amassing an impressive 297 runs at an average of 99 in five matches.
A Glimpse of Uday Pratap Saharan
Uday’s excellence was evident in the Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan where he scored a stellar half-century. His recent century against South Africa in the tri-nation U19 tournament further highlighted his exceptional skills. Notably, Shubman Gill was also a part of Punjab’s Junior Cricket team. Both the players have scored heavily for the Punjab junior team & have their father’s guidance who helped in their cricketing journey. Both the cricketers fathers have cricket backgrounds & are pioneers in building their careers.
What happened in the IND U19 vs BAN U19 fixture
The fixture began with Bangaldehs winning the toss & opting to bowl first. Their bowlers gave their team early breakthroughs by dismissing two Indian batters within the powerplay overs before Adarsh Singh and skipper Uday Saharan came up with a rescue act. Singh was the aggressor while Captain Saharan supported him to the fullest. Their stand neared a century & then some drama unfolded on the field when the fielders got restless & captain Saharan got angry with their attitude.
One of the fielders had a heated conversation with Saharan & both Saharan & Aridul Islam indulged in a war of words in the 25th over. The seemingly insignificant exchange became a proper argument with many other Bangladesh players getting involved before the umpire intervened. Saharan lost his control fully & kept on saying things even after the umpire intervened. He kept on talking to Bangladesh fielders even after the umpire tried to separate them.
After one or two minutes the whole heated exchange came to an end & players continued with the game. Saharan smashed 64 while Adarsh got dismissed on 76, the Indian captain knew that he needed to play long & he tried his best to handle the innings on one end. However, Priyansh Moliya and Sachin Dhas with counter-attacking knocks at the end helped India to get a total over 250.
In reply, Bangladesh batters couldn’t get going with the bat as indian bowlers held their nerves & restricted their run flow. Saumy Pandey returned with 4 wickets for 24 runs while Musheer Khan returned with two wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 167 runs in 45 overs registering a gleaming 84 runs victory. The win will act as a morale booster for Captain Uday Saharan as well as the entire Indian team.
How Uday Saharan’s Father Influenced His Cricketing Journey
Uday Saharan is the son of an Ayurveda doctor who was also a cricketer. Uday’s father was the driving force in Uday’s cricketing career. Saharan’s father played a pivotal role in encouraging Uday’s transition from Fazilka to Bathinda, where the Punjab Cricket Association’s infrastructure played a crucial role in honing his skills.
It was Udya’s father who lived his dream of becoming a cricketer through his son’s eyes. From setting up a net in their backyard to constant guidance, it was Uday’s father’s resilience that his son’s cricketing career reached the heights of success.
There are reports of Uday Saharan leading the Indian team even in the tri-series featuring India, England, and South Africa. Udaya Saharn has very well led India’s U19 team to their first victory in the U19 World Cup 2024. He will aim to continue the same performance throughout the tournament & guide India to laurels of success.
What do you think how was Uday Sahran’s performance? Can he will be able to lead India’s U19 team to the finals or his leadership skills will be tested in the knockout stage? Share with us your views & let us know what you feel about it.
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