IPL 2022 Auction: All you need to know about India's U19 WC hero and PBKS' latest recruit Raj Bawa

An outstanding performance from the India U19 saw them get the better of England U19 by four wickets in the ICC U19 2022 World Cup final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua earlier this month. By the virtue of this win, India became most successful team in the U19 World Cup with five titles to their name. The Indian team overcame all odds to achieve greatness in the tournament. Some of their key players including skipper Yash Dhull and Shaik Rasheed had to miss the group stages after being tested positive for coronavirus.

While this historic triumph was possible due to teamwork and dedication, there were a few key players who made stellar contributions when it mattered the most be it with the bat, ball, or the on the field and one of them is all-rounder Raj Bawa who rose to the occasion when it really mattered the most and that was during the grand finale. Bawa might be the country’s emerging cricketer but, he also has a rich sporting background.

Raj Bawa bagged a five-for in the 2022 U19 WC final

Raj Bawa was adjudged the Player of the Match for his all-round performance in the final against England U19 that saw him register a fifer in the first innings (5/31) and involve in a match-winning partnership scoring a vital 35 during a tricky chase. Bawa now has a major achievement at a very young age but cricket was in his blood and he also comes from an accomplished sporting family.

His grandfather Tarlochan Singh Bawa was a part of the legendary Indian hockey team that had bagged gold in the 1948 Olympic Games held in London. The youngster’s father Sukhwinder Bawa had coached Yuvraj Singh who went on to become one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket. Yuvraj was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the ICC U19 World Cup 2000 and the 2011 World Cup.

As a budding player of the game, Raj Bawa has also made a name for himself in the just-concluded edition of the U19 World Cup in the Caribbean. He scored a blistering 162 off just 108 deliveries during their group stage match against Uganda and after he registered a five-wicket haul in the decider, the Punjab cricketer became the second Indian after the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev to hit a 150-plus score and pick up a fifer in an ICC tournament.

Noting Raj Bawa’s brilliant performance in the U19 World Cup with both bat and ball, the franchises looked to secure his services. SRH, PBKS and MI went for him aggressively and eventually, the Punjab franchise managed to bag him for a whopping amount of INR 2 crore after keeping his base price at INR 20 lakh. He is certainly a player to watch out for and it remains to be seen if he makes it big in IPL 2022.