India lift 5th U19 World Cup trophy as Raj Bawa shines in 4-wicket over England in final

India romped to a record-extending 5th U19 World Cup title after outclassing England in the final of the 2022 edition of the tournament at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua on Saturday, February 5. Yash Dhull’s men finished with an unbeaten run in the West Indies, flaunting the strength of the assembly line of next-gen India cricketers at the world stage once again.

India made light work of a 190-run target, getting past the finish line with 4 wickets and 14 balls to spare. All-rounder Raj Bawa was the star of the day for India as he picked up a historic 5-wicket haul and followed it up with a brisk 35 with the bat in a dreamy performance in the big final.

India have reiterated their status as the most successful team in the U19 World Cup, winning the title for the 5th time. Yash Dhull follows an illustrious list of captains — Mohammad Kaif (2000), Virat Kohli (2008), Unmukt Chand (2012), Prithvi Shaw (2018) — who have tasted success in the showpiece event in the past.

Congratulations to the #BoysinBlue & the entire nation for winning the #U19CWC! Amazing spells by Ravi Kumar & Raj Bawa ???? ???? The future of Indian cricket looks bright ???? Well played boys. Super proud! @BCCI

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) February 5, 2022

Congratulations #BoysInBlue on winning the @ICC U19 World Cup. This is a Very Very Special @VVSLaxman281 win against all odds. Each of our youngsters has shown the heart and temperament needed to make history in these trying times #INDvENG #U19CWCFinal pic.twitter.com/amuzSbarbc

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) February 5, 2022

RAJ BAWA, RAVI KUMAR JOLT ENGLAND

Raj Bawa, grandson of Tarlochan Bawa – a member of the 1948 Olympic Gold-medal winning hockey team, became the first India bowler to pick up a 5-wicket haul in the final of a men’s ICC tournament as his fiery spells helped India restrict England to 189 in 44.5 overs despite winning the toss and opting to bat on a good batting pitch in North Sound.

Ravi Kumar, who is likely to be part of the Bengal Ranji Trophy squad, shone with the new ball, removing in-form opener Jacob Bethell and captain Tom Prest in his first two overs. England struggled to recover from the setback as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Nishant Sindhu, who led India when captain Yash was out with Covid-19, was unbeaten on 50 as he helped India past the finish line despite England fighting hard with late wickets.

Vice-captain Shaik Rasheed and captain Dhull chipped in with crucial contributions in the middle-overs. Rasheed hit his 2nd successive fifty to script a fine comeback story after nearly having his dreams dashed due to Covid-19 earlier in the tournament.

Raj Bawa removed the dangerous George Thomas who was looking good in the middle after racing to a fast start. The Punjab all-rounder picked up 2 wickets in as many balls, removing middle-order batters Will Luxton and George Bell cheaply to break the back of the England middle-order.

However, England recovered from 91 for 7 as James Rew helped them fight back with a classy 95. The young and elegant left-hander hit 12 boundaries as he stitched a 93-run stand with Alex Sales, who offered him the much-needed support that the middle-order failed to provide.

However, going for a big hit in a bid to get to the 3-figure score, Rew gave away his wicket to Ravi Kumar, who was brilliant on the occasion of the big final.

After steamrolling Australia by 95 runs, all the spotlight was on captain Yash Dhull, who hit a match-winning 110 in the semi-final, and vice-captain Shaik Rasheed who had hit 94 against the Aussies. The duo got together once again in the big final, stitching a crucial 46-run stand for the 3rd wicket after India were in a spot of bother at 49 for 2.

Rasheed hit 50 from 83 balls but fell right after getting to the mini landmark. Nishant and Raj then put on a 67-run stand to put India on the cusp of victory. It was an all-round show from the Boys in Blue who were spotless throughout the tournament.

Despite Covid-19 pandemic hurting their preparations and leading to an apparent lack of hype about the team, unlike the previous editions, Yash Dhull’s men shone brightly in the Caribbean, taking the first step towards having a chance at establishing a career at the highest level.