Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik expressed strong admiration for the country's youth, stating that the next decade belongs to India amid nationwide student protests over alleged NEET-UG exam paper leaks and irregularities.

In his X post the present commentator expressed that he is "extremely in awe of" the clarity, collaboration, and relentlessness displayed by the younger generation. He added that the country's next decade belongs to the youth, sharing his strong belief that the next generation will successfully take India to new heights.

With this statement,Dinesh Karthik became one of the first high-profile cricketing public figures to publicly validate the success of the student-led movement. His post was aligned with a wave of support from other prominent public figures and sports personalities, such as cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, alongside various actors and political leaders, reacting to the massive breakthrough achieved by the student movement.

"At the end of the day, we're all working towards a better India. The clarity, collaboration and relentlessness of the younger generation is something that I'm extremely in awe of. The future is bright, and the next generation is going to take us to new heights. Jai Hind," he posted on X.

'This is bigger than a paper leak': Sanjay Manjrekar too supports Student Protest

Sanjay Manjrekar voiced strong support for the student demonstrations, calling the movement a democratic revolt against suppression rather than just an issue over exam leaks. He warned that using force against the youth will fail and urged authorities to empower them instead.

He also shared that as a father of two, he knows firsthand that suppressing and brainwashing today's youth will never work.

Earlier, Indian cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Shubman Gill have broken their silence on the nationwide student protests over NEET-UG exam irregularities, offering measured statements focused on merit, honesty, and peaceful expression. Figures like Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and Ishan Kishan shared similar social media support advocating for student welfare and a swift resolution.