The Indian cricket team has become one of the best cricket teams in the world thanks to the IPL. There is no shortage of talented players in the country now as the Indian Premier League provides the senior team with a bunch of junior superstars. Because of such tough competition, the junior players also perform well in the U-19 World Cup.
The fact that India had won the U-19 World Cup in 2018 and reached the finals in 2020 showcases the same. However, to win the U-19 World Cup in 2008 was a major achievement for the Indian youngsters. Virat Kohli famously led the team to the title in Malaysia, and here’s a look at the whereabouts of the entire squad.
Virat Kohli
Starting off with the Indian U-19 team captain of 2008, Virat Kohli is the captain of the senior Indian cricket team right now. The right-handed batsman is the world’s best batsman at the moment. Kohli also holds the most expensive IPL contract.
Napoleon Einstein
In case you did not know, India’s 2008 U-19 World Cup winning squad member Napoleon Einstein belonged to a family of scientists. He played only one match for the Indian U-19 side that year.
Einstein received a contract from CSK in the IPL. However, he never received a proper chance to prove his talent. He played his last match for Tamil Nadu in 2014.
Saurabh Tiwary and Manish Pandey
Saurabh Tiwary, After an impressive season with MI in 2010, RCB gave him a massive contract and Tiwary also made his India debut in that timeline. However, he could not live up to the hype. Now, he is a part of Mumbai Indians again.
Manish Pandey did not perform well in the U-19 World Cup 2008, but he became a well-known name in the country after becoming the first Indian player to score a century in the Indian Premier League. Pandey has been in and out of the Indian senior team. He also plays cricket for India ‘A’ team and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Perry Goyal and Taruwar Kohli
Perry Goyal did not have the luck by his side during the 2008 U-19 World Cup because the team management did not give him a single chance to play. He never received a chance in domestic cricket as well. Goyal quit the cricket field and is now a Director of a Patiala-based Real Estate Company, RSG Group.
Taruwar Kohli was India’s second-highest run-scorer in the tourney with 218 runs at an average of 43.60. He played for RR and KXIP in the IPL, but his below-par performances did not impress the team officials. Currently, Taruwar plays for Mizoram in domestic cricket.
Duvvarapu Siva Kumar
Another rising Indian star who did not receive a chance to feature in the playing XI during the U-19 World Cup was Duvvarapu Siva Kumar. Unlike Perry Goyal, Siva Kumar got a chance to play domestic cricket for Andhra Pradesh.
He played 42 games and scalped 143 wickets. However, his injury issues did not allow him to make it big in the world of cricket. Kumar played his last game in 2018.
Siddarth Kaul and Pradeep Sangwan
Siddarth Kaul took a giant step in his cricketing career with Virat Kohli in the U-19 World Cup of 2008. However, the team management kept on overlooking him until he performed exceptionally well for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Kaul played a few matches for the Indian cricket team in 2018 and now plays for the India ‘A’ team.
Sangwan’s cricketing career never took off as injuries and inconsistent performances in the IPL ensured that he goes unsold in IPL 2020 Auction.
Shreevats Goswami
Shreevats Goswami has played for multiple IPL franchises, but his career has never taken off. Goswami began his IPL journey with RCB and had a decent season. The wicket-keeper batsman is a part of SRH in the IPL now.
Goswami was the U-23 Player of the Season award winner in IPL 2008 and that remains his best achievement till date.
Iqbal Abdulla
Kolkata Knight Riders had signed Iqbal Abdulla in the U-19 player draft of 2008, but the Mumbai-based all-rounder got his breakthrough a few years later as he won the Emerging Player of the Year award in the IPL.
He could have broken into the Indian cricket team with one more solid IPL season, but that never happened. Abdulla plays for Sikkim in domestic cricket now.
Ajitesh Argal
Ajitesh Argal was one of the architects of India’s U-19 World Cup triumph in 2008. His magical spell of 2-7 in the final helped the Indian team win the game against South Africa. But, Argal could not continue his momentum.
After joining KXIP in the U-19 draft, he never got a proper opportunity. Argal has quit cricket and is an Income Tax inspector in Baroda now.
Abhinav Mukund and Ravindra Jadeja
Abhinav Mukund surprisingly did not play a match in the 2008 U-19 World Cup. Still, his consistent domestic cricket performance helped him earn a place in the Indian Test cricket team. Mukund has been actively playing domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu, but has not played international cricket for a while now.
Ravindra Jadeja kicked off his journey at the U-19 level by winning the global event under Virat Kohli. Jadeja dismissed 10 batsmen in the 2008 U-19 World Cup. Currently, he is a regular fixture in the Indian cricket team in all three formats. Also, he has a contract with CSK in IPL.
Tanmay Srivastava
Tanmay Srivastava was the leading run getter of the 2008 U-19 World Cup. The left-handed batsman donned the jerseys of Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Deccan Chargers in the IPL.
He was dropped from the Uttar Pradesh team last year, and now is the captain of the Uttarakhand domestic team.
