When I asked Sunil Joshi, the bowling coach of the U-19 India team playing the ICC World Cup in Zimbabwe currently, he reeled off what sounded like a cryptic clue “1. Hand: when the hand works its only labour. 2. Head: when hand and head work it becomes skill. 3. Heart: when hand, head and heart all three work together it becomes art. Make every act of your life an art, put your heart full into it. When your signature changes to autograph, this marks the success.”
As I sat down and thought about it, I realised Joshi is saying that true success arrives when your work stops being just correct and starts being distinctive. When effort becomes expression. When competence becomes character. When people recognise not just what you do, but who you are through what you do. For an U-19 coach, this is a powerful message. He is telling young players that:
- Hard work alone is entry-level.
- Intelligence elevates you.
- But only emotional ownership — pride, passion, responsibility — turns a cricketer into an artist.
And perhaps most importantly, he is reminding them that the goal is not just performance, but identity.
India’s U-19 World Cup campaign began with a comfortable win over the United States, but the scorecard only tells a small part of the story. Henil Patel’s spell was the defining moment of the match. Five wickets for 16 runs is a headline-grabbing return at any level, but at U-19 level it speaks of something deeper — control under pressure, clarity of role, and an understanding of conditions. Patel did not rely on raw pace or exaggerated movement. He bowled with discipline, trusted his lengths, and let the batter make mistakes.
On the batting side, Abhigyan Kundu’s unbeaten 42 was a reminder that temperament remains cricket’s most undervalued currency. In a rain-affected chase with interruptions breaking rhythm and early wickets creating mild anxiety, Kundu chose patience over impulse. He did not dominate the bowling; he managed the situation. That distinction matters. At junior level, India produces many stroke-makers. What separates those who advance is the ability to absorb pressure and make the game move at their pace rather than the opposition’s.
India’s U-19 teams often look superior in skill and depth, but the real test lies in what happens after the tournament ends. The country has never struggled to identify talent; it has struggled to transition it smoothly. The gap between U-19 success and sustained senior relevance remains uneven, especially for bowlers and middle-order batters.
The first priority must be continuity of competition. Young players need consistent exposure to high-quality cricket beyond age-group tournaments. This means stronger A-team schedules, more overseas tours in difficult conditions, and meaningful roles in domestic cricket rather than symbolic squad inclusion.
Equally important is physical and mental management. Fast bowlers like Patel must be protected from overuse while being prepared for the physical demands of senior cricket. Workload monitoring, biomechanical assessment and long-term conditioning plans should begin early, not as corrective measures later. For batters like Kundu, mental conditioning is just as critical — learning to deal with expectation, social media scrutiny and the psychological shift from being a prodigy to being one among many.
India’s system often overwhelms young players with options — Ranji Trophy, white-ball domestic cricket, franchise leagues, India A tours — without clearly sequencing them. A more deliberate progression, where performances at one level unlock defined opportunities at the next, would reduce stagnation and burnout.
Finally, Indian cricket must resist the temptation to judge U-19 players solely by early returns. The World Cup is a spotlight, not a destination. Patel’s five-for and Kundu’s composure are promising indicators, not guarantees. What will determine their future is how well the system around them stays patient, structured and aligned with long-term development rather than short-term validation.
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