Best XI of U19 World Cup winning players who couldn’t play for India

The U19 World Cup has given India so many amazing talents through the years. The first ICC Under-19 World Cup took place in 1998 which was then called the youth World Cup. India has been the most dominant side in the history of the tournament. They have sealed the trophy five times. Mohammed Kaif became the first Indian captain to win the U19 world cup in 2000.

India again won the trophy in 2008 under Virat Kohli. India again ended up on the winning side in 2012, 2018, and 2022 under Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, and Yash Dhull respectively. Cricket is the most celebrated sport in India and Indian cricket fans treat the sport like a religion. The Under-19 world cup provides a center stage and a huge amount of opportunities for budding cricketers in India.

Successful cricketers like Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Rishabh Pant were first seen in the respective U19 World Cups they played. India recently became the champions for the fifth time. Yash Dhull led India to glory on the sixth of February 2022. They defeated England in the finals. There have been some cricketers who have won the Under-19 trophy for India but haven’t got a chance to represent the senior team.

Best XI of U19 World Cup who couldn’t represent India

1. Unmukt Chand (2012) (c)

Unmukt Chand is the only Indian U19 World Cup-winning captain who has not played for India. He can’t blame his luck or the higher authorities because his performances have not been up to the mark. He hammered an unbeaten 111 in the final of the 2012 under-19 World Cup final and ensured his team a win in the tournament.

At that time, he was considered as the next big thing in Indian cricket but unfortunately, he was deprived of playing for his nation. After his successful run in the Under-19 World Cup, he got picked by Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) in the 2011 IPL auction and was there till 2013. In 2014 he was seen representing the Rajasthan Royals franchise in the cash-rich league.

He also had a good run with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 2016. But after 2016, he never got picked by any IPL franchises as he was not performing as per the standards. He decided to part ways with cricket in India in 2021 and moved to the USA for better cricket opportunities. He became the first Indian men cricketer to play the Big Bash League when he took the field for Melbourne Renegades in 2021.