Best XI of U19 World Cup 2020

The U19 World Cup in South Africa was a witness to a jaw-dropping finish. India and Bangladesh were involved in a thrilling encounter at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom. Both teams came into the contest on the backs of nine-match winning streaks.

The match wasn’t a high-scoring affair by any means, but despite that it kept the audience at the edge of their seats until the very end. After a number of twists and turns, the Junior Tigers won by three wickets and got their hands on the trophy against all the odds.

Priyam Garg’s India, on the other hand, failed to defend their U19 title. Throughout the last few days, there have been some enthralling performances from the participating teams. Among them, a few stood out and played pivotal roles for their teams.

In the article, let’s take a look at the best XI of the U19 World Cup: –

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal had a tournament to remember, representing the Boys in Blue. In every other match, he stamped his authority. His only score less than 50 came against Japan where India was chasing a target in the 40s.

But apart from that, the Mumbai left-hander was at his best. The southpaw racked up 400 runs in six games at a gigantic average of 133.33 with a ton and four fifties. He turned up three fifties against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia. In the semi-final against Pakistan, Jaiswal notched an unbeaten 105 and saw his team through to a 10-wicket victory.

In the final against Bangladesh, Jaiswal played a lone hand. He held the innings together with 88 off 121 with eight fours and a six. Once he got out to Shoriful Islam, the rest of the Indian batting collapsed.

2. Ibrahim Zadran

Ibrahim Zadran, prior to the World Cup, had played Test cricket for Afghanistan and gave a good account of himself. In the mega event, the Khost-born weaved magic. In the first game, he helped the Afghans beat South Africa, scoring 52 runs in a run-chase.

Zadran kept getting better and scored 87 against UAE in Potchefstroom. He would have been disappointed though after not getting his ton. Then against Pakistan and Australia, Ibrahim got out after getting into the double digits.

Nevertheless, Zadran put his best foot forward in Afghanistan’s last match. In the seventh-place play-off in Benoni, the right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 73 and helped his side chase down 155 in 40.2 overs. Overall, Ibrahim scored 240 runs in five matches at a decent average of 60.

3. Bryce Parsons

Though South Africa were knocked out in the quarter-final, Bryce Parsons, their skipper, managed to imprint his footprints in the tournament. The 18-year-old finished the tournament as the Proteas’ leading run-scorer, getting 265 runs at an average of 44.16, striking at an impressive 106.42.

The left-hander started with a 40 against the Afghans and followed it up with 121 against Canada. In the last group game, Parsons shone with a decent 84 versus the UAE. In the next three games, he ended up with single-digit scores though.

Parsons would have loved to drag his team out of the pits in the semis against Bangladesh, but that wasn’t the case. Bryce was South Africa’s most frugal bowler with an economy of 3.49. Moreover, he picked up five wickets in the 49.5 overs he rolled his arms over.

4. Mahmudul Hasan Joy

Mahmudul Hasan Joy has scored only 184 runs in six matches in the U19 World Cup. But he turned up with one of the most historic knocks in the history of Bangladesh cricket. In the semi-final against New Zealand at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, the youngster turned up with a century off 127 balls with 13 fours.

The knock guided the Junior Tigers to their maiden final in an ICC event. He got out to opposition skipper Jesse Tashkoff, but by then the match had already become a formality.

Apart from the ton, Mahmudul had a couple of unbeaten scores in the 30s against Zimbabwe and Scotland. In between, he slumped to failures versus Pakistan and South Africa. In the final against India, he couldn’t read a wrong’urn from Ravi Bishnoi and the ball cannoned on to his stumps.

5. Akbar Ali (C & WK)

Akbar Ali is someone who’s known for his calm and collected approach. On the back of their skipper, Bangladesh have rolled over quite a few sides. Akbar mostly worked from the backdrop in the U19 World Cup as he didn’t get many chances with the bat in hand.

His only outright failure was against Pakistan where he got out on five. In the final, the youngster from Rangpur put forth his very best. He came to bat after Ravi Bishnoi’s opening spell set the cat amongst the pigeons in the Tigers’ batting lineup.

Even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end, Akbar didn’t press the panic button. He carried his team, scoring 43 off 77 with four fours and a six. He was vocal as the skipper, constantly giving suggestions to his mates. With the keeping gloves, Akbar didn’t flounder either.

6. Nyeem Young

Nyeem Young had a tournament to remember, plying his trade for the West Indies. The 19-year-old started with a match-winning knock of 61 runs lower down the order against Australia in Kimberley. On a track where most of the Caribbean batters strained, the right-hander played at a strike-rate of nearly 90.

In the next match against England at the same venue, Young took his game a notch up. This time around, he picked up a five-wicket haul and backed it up with a knock of 66 runs. The all-round show helped West Indies win by 71 runs in the match, marred by rain.

In the next few games, he couldn’t make a great impact, but overall was decent enough. In six matches, Young scored 140 runs at a strike-rate of 102.18. With his medium pace, Young churned out eight wickets with a fifer.

7. Tanveer Sangha

Tanveer Sangha was Australia’s best bowler in the World Cup by a country mile. The leg-spinner racked up 15 wickets, 11 more than the next highest wicket-taker for the Aussies in the event. He bowled the highest number of overs for his team (48) at an impressive economy rate of 3.58 and an average of 19.2.

He started with a four-fer against the West Indies, though it came in a losing cause. Nigeria had no clue whatsoever about Tanveer’s guile and trajectory. The Young Turk got a five-wicket haul, conceding only 14 runs.

In the next two matches against India and England, he got a wicket each. But his best all-round performance came against Afghanistan in Potchefstroom. Sangha turned up with a four-wicket haul and then scored an unbeaten 46, facing a potent Afghan attack.

 8. Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi ended the World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps from six games It was only because of the leg-spinner that India were able to make a comeback in the final against Bangladesh. He notched four wickets and put the skids under the Tigers’ batters.

He started wielding magic since the first game itself against Sri Lanka as he picked up two wickets in Kimberley. He backed it up with a couple of four-wicket hauls, first against an inexperienced Nepal batting and then against New Zealand in a rain-curtailed game.

Even in the quarter-final and semi-final versus Australia and Pakistan, Bishnoi made breakthroughs. In the final, the Tigers batters had no clue about the wrong’ urns he was dishing out. He can be groomed for further steps in Indian cricket.

9. Shafiqullah Ghafari

Shafiqullah Ghafari was a tough nut to crack in the U19 World Cup. He is one the spinners to watch out for in the future without a shred of a doubt. The 18-year-old picked up wickets at will and outdrawn anyone and everyone, who stumbled on to his path.

In five matches, Ghafari picked up as many as 16 wickets at an economy of 2.45. Moreover, he had an unreal bowling average of seven. He started with a scathing spell of 6/15 against South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup.

Thereafter, he decimated the UAE batting lineup with another five-wicket haul. In the next two matches, he couldn’t make much of an impact. Nevertheless, in the Afghans’ last match against the Proteas, Shafiqullah again came into his own. The tweaker nipped out four wickets, giving 14 runs.

10. Kartik Tyagi

Kartik Tyagi was India’s go-to quick bowler without much of a doubt. In the six matches he played, the right-arm fast bowler picked up 11 wickets. The 19-year-old mostly took the new cherry and also rolled his arm over in the death overs.

In the first match against Lanka, he returned with a solitary wicket. In the next match against Japan, Tyagi picked up three early wickets, conceding 10 runs. In the quarter-final, he ripped apart the Australian batting lineup with a four-wicket haul.

Tyagi didn’t spare Pakistan either, churning out a couple of wickets. The onus was on him in the final as well, being one of India’s key performers. However, after toiling hard for 10 overs, he was unable to make a breakthrough. He was also guilty of leaking quite a few extras, but he isn’t short of potential.

11. Rakibul Hasan

Rakibul Hasan, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, didn’t put a foot wrong in the mega event in South Africa. He picked up only a solitary wicket against Zimbabwe in a game, curtailed by rain. But the tweaker from Mymensingh brought forth his A-game against Scotland in Potchefstroom.

He got a four-wicket haul that included a hat-trick. He didn’t look back and went from strength to strength. He didn’t get a chance to bowl against Pakistan after the match was called off due to rain. Rakibul was back at his best versus South Africa in the quarter-final.

On the back of his fifer, the Junior Tigers came out trumps by 104 runs. He also played a key role in Bangladesh’s win over New Zealand in the semis. In the final against India, Rakibul was their most economical bowler with Priyam Garg’s scalp.