There is a cutthroat competition in the cricketing fraternity just like every other profession out there. When a youngster holds the bat or ball, he dreams to play for the country. However, not everyone is able to chime in the international scenario and extent their careers for long. More often than not due to lack of consistency, the cricketers seem to miss their chance of making it big.

Having said that, everyone has a different story. One witness a lot of young talents walking onto the field when it comes to the Under-19 circuit. There comes a lot of influential names that turn many heads and present themselves as promising talents. It then opens the doors of the shelf of possibilities for them to enter the national side.

While some players continue to march the drum of their repertoire at the highest level, some unfortunately aren’t able to be in the race effectively. The odyssey of any cricketer to the national jersey is a grueling one. And it thus exudes the intensity of the challenges that one needs to face along the journey. In the Under-19 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/reports-virat-kohli-sourav-ganguly-discussed-indias-t20-world-cup-roadmap-during-lords-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a>, a bunch of players achieve recognition but not all continue to stretch their domination in the coming years. Here&#8217;s a look at-

10 Promising Under-19 cricketers who faded away

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-549941" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Unmukt-Chand-1.jpg" alt="Unmukt Chand" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-549941" class="wp-caption-text">Unmukt Chand. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

In India, cricket is both the punching bag and calming pillow of the people. The impact the game has on everyone in the country is huge. And naturally, the competition to make it to the Indian national team is furthermore difficult. One such batter from India whose dream to play for the country didn’t find its destination is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/unmukt-chand-signs-contract-with-usas-major-league-cricket-for-multiple-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unmukt Chand</a>.

Chand dropped many jaws when he marked his entry whilst leading India to an under-19 World Cup win in 2012. He hit an unbeaten 111 in a tense chase against Australia and helped the team to sail past victory. His temperament stood out throughout the campaign as he burst onto the scene. It was Chand’s third consecutive century in a final for the under-19 side.

He made his Ranji debut while still in school and hit a ton in his very fourth game. He entered the IPL scenario when he was eighteen years old and thus parallels were drawn between him and Virat Kohli. He has chipped in 3379 runs in first-class cricket and 4505 runs in List A matches. Chand is considered as the hard hitter of the ball but seemed to struggle to crack the code of consistency. Despite his several appearances in India&#8217;s A-side, he couldn’t make it to the national team, owing to the bench strength the team possesses.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-144692" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shamar-Springer.jpg" alt="Shamar Springer" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-144692" class="wp-caption-text">Shamar Springer. (Photo by Pal Pillai/Getty Images for Nissan)</figcaption>

In the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, along with his capabilities, Shamar Springer delighted one and all with what he calls the &#8216;chest roll&#8217; celebrations. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/south-africa-squad-announced-for-limited-overs-series-against-west-indies-dane-van-niekerk-returns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Indies</a> players and their trademark celebrations aren’t new to the cricketing world. Their immense all-rounder attributes of dominating with both the ball and the bat aren’t unknown as well. This is probably the exact script that Springer wrote in the World Cup when he declared himself ready to take the center stage.

In the semifinal of the tournament, he played a responsible knock of 62 off 88 balls in the chase of 227 and conveyed that along with power-hitting, he also has the caliber to run the ship according to the situation. He finished among the top five run-scorers of the tournament with 285 runs at an average of 57. He entered the scenes through the Barbados age-group system, featuring in their Under-17 and Under-19 sides. Springer was also selected by the local CPL franchise Tridents for the 2016 edition.

In the year 2019, he was selected to play for Barbados in the 2019-20 Regional Super50 tournament. Later, in June 2020, he was picked up by Barbados, in the players&#8217; draft hosted by Cricket West Indies ahead of the 2020–21 domestic season. The West Indies team still has the old, impactful, and key names in their T20 side, which is ruling the proceedings. Their investment in youth is comparatively lower and Springer has not made it to their list yet.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-213357" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Lloyd-Pope.jpg" alt="Lloyd Pope" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-213357" class="wp-caption-text">Lloyd Pope. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Leg spin bowling has always been on everybody’s radar around the cricketing world. The legendary Shane Warne stunned the world with his ‘Ball of the century’ and redefined the concept of the leg-spin. Another leg spinner from Australia who raised many eyebrows was Lloyd Pope. The 19-year old, who represented Australia in the Under-19 World Cup in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/test-batters-are-struggling-around-the-world-seems-only-new-zealand-and-india-are-producing-high-quality-red-ball-batsmen-nasser-hussain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a>, bettered his abilities with the ball.

Pope ran through England’s batting line-up as he bowled a dream spell of 8 for 35. This thus was the best figure ever produced in an Under-19 World Cup. England required only 128 runs to win but they were wrapped up at 96. He made his First-Class debut for South Australia in 2018 and in his second first-class match itself, he shone with seven wickets for 87 runs against Queensland.

He quickly made his space as a confident spinner bringing in a lot of repertoire on the field and bowling his heart out while his flowing red hair had a little conversation with the wind. He made the batters at the junior level struggle with his deliveries and earned the ‘Wizard’ tag for himself. It was expected that Pope might find himself in the deep waters of International cricket soon but it didn’t happen quite that way.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-285673" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Harsh-Tyagi.jpg" alt="Harsh Tyagi" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-285673" class="wp-caption-text">Harsh Tyagi. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Harsh Tyagi made his List A debut for Railways in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 20 September 2018. He is a left-arm orthodox spinner from Delhi for whom the year 2016 proved to be a special one. Amidst a school tournament organized by Delhi Daredevils, Harsh bowled a spell of 2.3 overs and picked up five wickets without conceding a single run which grabbed a lot of eyeballs.

He then got selected for Delhi&#8217;s team for the U-23 CK Nayudu Trophy where he shone by clinching 17 wickets in four matches. He was then given the opportunity to feature in the U-19 team for the Cooch Behar Trophy and Harsh continued his splendid form by picking up 45 wickets in 7 matches. His impressive performances meant that he would make it to the Indian U-19 team.

In the final of the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, Tyagi scalped six wickets for 38 runs from his spell of ten overs and was named the man of the match. In the 11 first-class matches, Tyagi has picked up 40 wickets and scored 363 runs. However, the sudden noise around him that was created post his stellar performances eventually lowered down. He also went unsold in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/womens-ipl-will-help-improve-standard-of-cricket-in-india-believes-jemimah-rodrigues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> 2021 auction.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-209437" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jason-Sangha.jpg" alt="Jason Sangha" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-209437" class="wp-caption-text">Jason Sangha. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Jason Sangha had emerged as one of the most promising young batters in Australian domestic cricket. He became the youngest batsman since Sachin Tendulkar to hit a century against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/our-biggest-strength-is-our-consistency-eoin-morgan-confident-of-englands-prospects-ahead-of-2021-t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">England</a> in a first-class match whilst representing Cricket Australia XI in a tour match. He blew the trumpet of his talent by scoring a hundred against the likes of Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, and Moeen Ali at Townsville.

Sangha then scripted history in New Zealand when he became the first Indian-origin cricketer to lead Australia at an Under-19 World Cup. He walked a rapid path of success by putting up fascinating performances. He captained the New South Wales team that won the national under-15 school sports tournament in Darwin. This earned him a place in the Cricket Australia XI to play the under-17 national championship.

Sangha also became the youngest cricketer to be awarded an NSW senior contract. He was highly regarded as the future prospect of Australia. In 18 first-class matches, he has scored 734 runs and picked up 12 wickets. He also holds the record of being the youngest player to score a half-century in the Big Bash League. Despite the many firsts, he couldn’t find his spot on the Australian side yet.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-218151" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Manjot-Kalra.jpg" alt="Manjot Kalra India" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-218151" class="wp-caption-text">Manjot Kalra. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

In the finals of the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, all eyes were fixed on Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill who had exuded their flair in the tournament. Though they provided the team a steady start,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/chef-recalls-crazy-48-hours-at-his-restaurant-after-anushka-sharma-virat-kohli-and-other-indian-cricketers-visit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> India</a> found itself in a crunch position after both of them departed. That is when Manjot Kalra held the fort for the side. He hit a match-winning century against Australia and helped India to win their record fourth title win.

Hailing from North Delhi, Kalra performed well for the U-16 Delhi side. He had the guidance of Sanjay Bhardwaj, who groomed players like Gautam Gambhir, Amit Mishra, Unmukt Chand, and Nitish Rana. In a match against Punjab in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, he smashed a belligerent 172 that actually helped him book his spot for the U-19 World Cup.

Kalra was bought by the Delhi Capitals at his base price in the 2018 IPL auction. However, he did not play a single game in the tournament. In January 2020, Manoj Kalra was suspended by the outgoing DDCA Ombudsman from playing Ranji Trophy for one year, after an alleged age fraud during his U-16 and U-19 days.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-551104" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Xavier-Doherty.jpg" alt="Xavier Doherty" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-551104" class="wp-caption-text">Xavier Doherty. (Photo by Paul Kane &#8211; CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Xavier Doherty first came into the picture after some intriguing performances for Tasmania in the domestic One-Day tournaments. Owing to that, he was named the state&#8217;s One-Day player of the year in consecutive seasons. The left-arm spinner picked up four wickets on his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in November 2010 for which he had to wait a bit longer. The same month he also received the baggy green cap.

He had a tough time making an impact in the two-Test matches that he played at the Gabba and Adelaide Oval. After almost two and a half years, he got another chance in red-ball cricket. It was Australia’s tour to India and Doherty couldn’t make most of it as despite bowling in tight lines he seemed to have pitched the ball too full and wasn’t able to generate enough turn. When Doherty entered the cricketing arena after having starred in the Under-19 World Cup, big things were expected from him. However, he was unable to make consistent impacts.

Known as an intelligent and accurate bowler, he has been a part of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-punjab-kings-sign-australia-pacer-nathan-ellis-for-second-leg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a>’s domestic circuit for more than a decade. He announced his retirement in March 2017 after having played 71 first-class, 176 List A, and 74 T20s. Compared to Test cricket his numbers were decent in the ODIs but he missed out to be a part of the Australian side at the 2011 World Cup on the subcontinent, owing to a back injury. In the 60 ODIs he played, he picked up 55 wickets whereas in four Tests he clinched seven wickets. Doherty played 11 T20Is and scalped 10 wickets.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-371725" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Anwar-Ali.jpg" alt="Anwar Ali" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-371725" class="wp-caption-text">Anwar Ali. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The pacer from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-to-rest-babar-azam-shaheen-afridi-rizwan-and-hasan-ali-for-afghanistan-odis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> provided glimpses of his flair in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup final against India, in Colombo. He picked up five wickets and fashioned Pakistan’s victory. His efforts in first-class cricket reaped him rewards. Not just with the ball, Ali had the knack to contribute with the willow down the order as well.

Anwar Ali was selected in the training squad for the ODI series against Zimbabwe in 2008. He also featured in the tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya with the Academy team, wherein he scalped 29 wickets at an average of 16.31. This further assisted him to earn a place in the Pakistan team for the T20 tournament in Canada. Ali made his ODI debut against South Africa in November 2014.

Since then, the speedster hadn’t been a sure name in the squad, having played a handful of matches. In 22 ODIs, he has picked up 18 wickets. Whereas on the other hand, in 16 T20Is he has clinched 10 wickets. He possesses the ability to swing both the new as well as the old ball. Owing to a rib injury and technical adjustments made in his action, Ali lost his swing and seam movement a tad bit.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-182209" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jack-Burnham.jpg" alt="Jack Burnham" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-182209" class="wp-caption-text">Jack Burnham of Durham. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-fear-for-joe-root-he-will-be-doubting-himself-michael-vaughan-after-englands-performance-at-lords/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">England&#8217;s </a>Jack Burnham marked his arrival in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. He chipped in three centuries and smashed 418 runs and surpassed the previous best which was set by Alastair Cook. Burnham witnessed a setback to his career in the year 2017 when he tested positive for a third time for recreational drugs which meant that he had to undergo a season-long ban.

Earlier, the Durham veteran Paul Collingwood had already spotted the spark in him as he gave him a chance in the 2015 season. The right-hand batter displayed his flair by hitting his maiden championship hundred against Surrey at the Oval and mustering 630 runs in 14 games in the following season.

Thus after watching his excellent performances, more was expected from him in the following seasons. In 52 First-class matches, he scored 2045 runs and gathered  139 runs from the 13 List A  games he played.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-345124" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Vijay-Zol.jpg" alt="Vijay Zol" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-345124" class="wp-caption-text">Vijay Zol. (Photo by Francois Nel &#8211; IDI/IDI via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Vijay Zol, a left-hand batter from Maharashtra, grabbed headlines by piling up big runs in his Under-19 days. His unbeaten 467-ball 451 in an Under-19 first-class match for Maharashtra designed the layout of his pathway to the India Under-19 squad at a very young age. Zol brought up decent performances in the 2012 Under 19 World Cup which India won under the captaincy of Unmukt Chand.

He was named as the skipper for the 2014 edition that was held in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-ms-dhoni-gives-batting-tips-to-ruturaj-gaikwad-as-csk-start-training-in-uae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UAE</a>. As a captain, he did not have a good outing as India’s run in the tournament ended in the quarter-finals. He had made his first-class debut against a visiting New Zealand side for India A and scored a century. He also featured in nine matches for Maharashtra in the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season and put up a good show with the bat. It also included his innings of 200 not out against Tripura.

In the Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers Bangalore roped him in the year 2012. However, Zol did not play any match in that season of the tournament. He was again bought back by the side in the 2014 auction and that is when he played a couple of matches in IPL 7. Zol wasn’t able to climb up the ladder owing to inconsistency. With other names emerging from the domestic circuit, he found him on the back seat as he was overlooked by the selectors.

While some players continue to march the drum of their repertoire at the highest level, some unfortunately aren’t able to be in the race effectively.

In the Under-19 World Cup, a bunch of players achieve recognition but not all continue to stretch their domination in the coming years.

10 Promising Under-19 cricketers who faded away

While some players continue to march the drum of their repertoire at the highest level, some unfortunately aren’t able to be in the race effectively.

10. Vijay Zol