India well prepared for U19 World Cup: skipper Prithvi Shaw

With the U19 World Cup 2018 is slated to kick off later this week on Saturday (January 13), all the teams have started with their penultimate preparations for the mega event. The warm-up matches will begin from tomorrow.

Coming into the tournament as defending champions, West Indies will have a lot at stake as they aim to extend their dominion in the format. Pakistan is the only side to have defended the title when they emerged victorious in the 2004 and 2006 editions while England and South Africa are the other teams to have won the tournament.

Australia and India are the most successful teams in the tournament, winning the title three times each. And with a talented pool of players, it looks increasingly promising for India to win the coveted title for a record fourth time.

Speaking on the same lines, India U19 skipper Prithvi Shaw opined the team has prepared well under the guidance of Rahul Dravid and the goal is to return home with the trophy.

“We’ve been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game (against Australia on January 13), and let’s see how the process goes,” Shaw said.

Many legends of the present generation first featured in this tournament

The World Cup officially got underway at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with an impressive ceremony showcasing New Zealand‘s culture. The ceremony was attended by representatives of all the 16 participating teams.

The junior World Cup is the first big platform for talented cricketers to showcase their potential in front of the world. The tournament is a springboard for young brewing cricketers, giving fans and pundits a chance to get a glimpse of the stars of the future.

Many legends of the present generation like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson among others first featured in this tournament.