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Indian cricket found some new budding stars recently after the Under-19 team lifted the World Cup trophy in West Indies. The Men in Blue put up a formidable display as they outplayed all their opponents during the mega event, eventually defeating England in the grand finale of tournament to become champions.
As expected, the youngsters of the championship winning team became a household name among fans in India. With IPL 2022 mega auction approaching, many stars like Yash Dhull, Raj Bawa, Rajvardhan Hangargekar etc. are set to go under the hammer with franchises keeping an eye on the talented cricketers.
However, much to everyone's surprise, few players from Team India - who impressed one and all with their performances - will unfortunately not be a part of the mega auction.
As per a report by Indian Express, there is a rule which states that, "An Under-19 player should have at least 1 first class match or List A game experience to enroll for the IPL Auction. This eligibility criteria also adds that in case the player doesn’t have the domestic cricket experience, he should have turned 19 before the IPL Auction dates."
Notably, there are few players who do not meet the above-mentioned criteria which could possibly be the reason behind their names not getting shortlisted by BCCI in the final list of players to participate in the mega auction.
Here is the list of 5 Under-19 stars who will not be up for grabs for IPL franchises:
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
The right-handed opener was India's leading run-scorer in the World Cup, scoring 278 runs in 6 matches at an impressive average of 46.33. Angkrish Raghuvanshi looked extremely composed at top while also showing his phenomenal array and range of shots. He played one of the best knocks of tournament when he smashed 144 runs off 120 balls against Uganda in group-stages. Surprisingly, he is just 16 years old and does not fulfil the criteria of entering into mega auction.
Dinesh Bana
The exciting wicket-keeper caught everyone's eyes with his explosive cameos batting down the order. Dinesh Bana batted at a strike-rate of around 190 in the tournament and fans certainly did not miss the opportunity to draw parallels between his match-winning six in the final and MS Dhoni's six in 2011 World Cup. As a wicket-keeper who can smash sixes, he would have been one of the players to watch out for in the mega auction but the 17-year-old will unfortunately not feature.
Ravi Kumar
The talented fast-bowler was one of the finds for Team India, who have been deprived of left-arm pacers over the years. Ravi Kumar swung the ball both ways and took some early wickets for his side throughout the course of mega event. He bowled at a phenomenal economy of 3.66, taking 10 wickets in 6 matches. But, the 18-year-old will have the same issue with eligibility criteria which is why he won't be seen in the mega auction.
Nishant Sindhu
If there is one all-rounder who showed lot of potential with both bat and ball during the World Cup, it was Nishant Sindhu. The youngster made some valuable contributions in all departments, with his crucial half-century in the final showdown notably one of the most impressive ones. He scored 140 runs during the tournament but just like some of his teammates, the 17-year-old will also not go under the hammer in upcoming IPL mega auction.
Shaik Rasheed
India's vice-captain during the World Cup has been touted as country's future No. 3. The right-handed batsman was phenomenal, especially in the final stages of the tournament, where he scored 94 and 50 in semi-final (against Australia) and final (against England), respectively. But despite his incredible maturity, Rasheed is only 17 years old and having not played any first-class cricket, he has not been shortlisted in the player auction list.
There are a few other players like Garv Sangwan and Manav Parakh who do not meet the criteria, reportedly set by BCCI. Although the names of these players, as of now, do not feature in the mega auction list, it will be interesting to see if the board finds any way to give franchises a chance to sign these youngsters through any means. Well, let's wait and watch!