The U19 Draft before IPL 2008 was a procedure that allowed the franchises to make a pick amongst the U19 cricketers. India had just won the U19 World Cup under the leadership of Virat Kohli and hence, there was a good demand for the teenagers. A few teams were looking at the future with these players on their roster. In fact, for a few teams, a decision made in this draft has gone on to define the legacy and the future of the franchise. Chennai Super Kings, too, made three picks in this draft. In this article, we take a look at three players picked up in the U19 draft in 2008 by Chennai Super Kings.
1) Abhinav Mukund ($50,000)
Abhinav Mukund was part of the U19 squad that won the World Cup in 2008. Coming from Tamil Nadu, many expected that CSK would go for the local boy. They hired him but could not give him a lot of chances. The southpaw played two games for the franchise in 2008. While he was out on the first ball in his debut game against Rajasthan Royals, he did not get the chance to bat in his next match against Deccan Chargers. In both these games, Mukund could not get a chance to bat at his preferred opening slot.
2) Napoleon Einstein ($30,000)
Napoleon Einstein is one of the players picked up in the U19 draft in 2008 by Chennai Super Kings. He is a right-handed batter and has also played for Tamil Nadu in domestic competitions. However, the cricketer could not showcase his skills at CSK because of a lack of opportunities. The franchise later had to release him.
3) Viraj Kadbe ($30,000)
Part of the Vidharbha cricket team in domestic competitions, Viraj played for CSK in IPL 2008. However, he did not get too many chances. He was later released by the outfit.
