High Five: Defending champions India favourites for fifth title

Cape Town, January 16

A few precocious talents, hardworking teenagers and a chunky lot that might fall by the wayside in times to come will form an eclectic 16-team mix in the melting pot called the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which starts tomorrow.

Defending champions India will be the overwhelming favourites to win the junior global meet for the fifth time, with at least six players, including skipper Priyam Garg, having played senior cricket. Not to forget four players — Yashasvi Jaiswal, Garg, Ravi Bishnoi and Kartik Tyagi — who have already landed fat contracts in the IPL.

India have been the team to beat on the junior cricket circuit since Virat Kohli’s team dominated the proceedings in the 2008 edition.

While there will be future stars in the Pakistan, Australia, England and New Zealand teams, the presence of Japan and Nigeria will certainly have its own curiosity value. In fact, Japan are clubbed with India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Group D.

The Japanese team mostly has South Asian expats with names like Tushar Chaturvedi, Yugandhar Retharekar, Ishan Fartyal, Debasish Sahoo helping out the likes of Kazumasha Takahashi, Masato Morita and Shu Noguchi. The Nigerian team, which is clubbed in a difficult group comprising Australia, West Indies and England, has more local flavour in the presence of Sylvester Okpe, Oche Boniface, Ifeanyichukwu Uboh and Olayinka Olaleye.

The tournament starts with hosts South Africa taking on Afghanistan in the ‘Diamond City’ of Kimberley tomorrow, followed by Australia’s big-ticket game against West Indies on the next day.

Australia, like India, have a number of players who have already played senior-level cricket. One prominent name is former death-overs specialist Ian Harvey’s nephew McKenzhie Harvey, who has played 2 List A and 13 T20 games. Similarly, England have Ben Charlesworth, who has played 11 First-Class games. — PTI