Manjot Kalra reveals the reason why Rahul Dravid called IPL 2018 auctions as distraction

The India U19 side created history yet again when they lifted the ICC U19 World Cup 2018 by beating Australia U19 in the finals. The man of the finals was Manjot Kalra. The hard hitting opening batsman hit a firm century to guide India in the run chase. During the course of the tournament, the Indian side remained unbeaten.

This in itself is a big achievement for the team that was coached by Rahul Dravid. As per the recent quotes in the Hindustan Times, Manjot Kalra reflected back at the tournament and called his century in the finals as the moment of his life. He also revealed the reason why Rahul Dravid called the IPL 2018 auctions as a distraction.

The IPL 2018 auctions took place during the time of the tournament. Dravid had then quipped that the auctions will be a distraction for the colts. Kalra revealed that the reason behind this was that the players who would go unsold will feel sad about it.

“It feels good. It is a great moment for me, scoring a hundred in the final. It was a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” quoted Manjot Kalra.

“Rahul Dravid sir told us to not watch the IPL auction because it could act as a distraction for people who don’t get selected. During the auction, we were in a team meeting. I got to know (about being bought by Delhi Daredevils) through my family members,” Kalra noted.

On not playing the Vijay Hazare 2018

Commenting on the times that beckon ahead for him, Majot Kalra hopes to play for India yet again. While other players of the U19 side, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, have resumed their on field duties in domestic cricket, Kalra found no place in the Delhi side for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Talking about this, he remarked that the Delhi squad was finalised way earlier than other teams.

“If I get opportunities, I’ll look to make the most of them. I can’t say or predict where I’ll be 2 or 3 years from now. If I continue to do well, I will definitely play for India,” he remarked.

“Actually, Delhi’s squad was finalised a lot earlier. I even spoke to the selectors and they gave me the same reason. Let’s see if I get a chance in the knockouts,” he mentioned.

On his journey thus far

Kalra was further asked to comment on his cricketing journey. There were allegations of age fudging against him prior to the World Cup. Citing the same as a reference, Kalra noted that it has been a tough journey for him thus far but he has been lucky enough to be a part of the World Cup winning side.

“Bahut mehnat lagi hai sir. At one stage, it was very difficult. Then these allegations (of age-fudging). But I performed well in the Challenger Trophy. Luckily, I got selected for the World Cup. I took my preparations seriously and the result is for everyone to see,” concluded the elegant batsman.

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