Dhull, Bawa, Ostwal & more: India’s young champs get snapped for IPL 2022

(February 14, 2022) The much-awaited Tata IPL 2022 is already creating a buzz. Even as this year saw over 204 players sold to 10 teams with a whopping Rs 551,70 crore spent in two days, the U-19 world cup winning squad members are creating their own buzz as emerging players. And there are some others that have potential too. Among this new breed of Indian U-19 cricketers are five names to watch out for as the IPL starts roaring into action.

Yash Vijay Dhull, 17 years , ICC U19 and IPL Delhi Capitals, batsman

Yash Dhull, Delhi Capitals

India’s U19 World Cup captain, Yash Dhull was snapped up for Rs 50 lakh by the Delhi Capitals at the IPL 2022 mega auction held in Bengaluru on February 13. The excited youngster called it a dream come true, revealing that he has been a part of the Delhi Capitals Bal Bhavan Academy for nearly a decade. The middle-order, right-handed batsman was four-years-old when his mother spotted him shadow-practicing on the street without a bat, and enrolled him at an academy. At the age of 11, he got into Bal Bhawan school’s academy, and by the time he turned 12, Dhull had represented the Delhi team in under-14 matches.

An unforgettable score of 186 against Punjab in the under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy led to him being promoted as the side’s skipper. On January 15, 2022, Dhull scored 82 runs from 100 deliveries in the opening match of the U19 WC. In the quarter final, he led the team to a five-wicket victory against Bangladesh, and in the second semi-final, he played against Australia, registering his maiden U-19 WC 2022 (110 from 110 balls). On February 5, 2022, he led the Indian U19 team to their record-extending fifth victory, beating England by four wickets. He has now been named in the Delhi Ranji Trophy squad. Dhull’s father, Vijay, is vice-president at a cosmetics company but was a former league cricketer. His other childhood mentor was his grandfather, Jagat Singh, an army man who drove him to matches and instilled discipline and dedication. Yash is now part of an elite group of players including Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri and Prithvi Shaw, who have led the Indian side in the U-19 World Cup.

Raj Angad Bawa, 19, Punjab Kings, fast bowler and all rounder

Raj Angad Bawa, Punjab Kings

As many Indian U-19 cricketers dazzled at the IPL 2022 mega auction, bagging their slots in the best of leagues, Raj Angad Bawa, India’s U19 World Cup star saw his fortunes rise in his maiden IPL auction. Bawa was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 2 crore, making him the most expensive player from Chandigarh. The Punjab Kings tweeted, “Punjab, aa raha hai dil pe karne Raj!”  As the first Indian to take a five-wicket haul in the final of the ICC U-19 World Cup, he proved his mettle in West Indies against England, as the backbone in the title-winning campaign.

The 19-year-old also hit a 162 not out against Uganda – the highest score by an Indian in the tournament – thus making him one of the most sought-after contenders for IPL 2022. Born in Himachal Pradesh in 2002 to renowned cricket coach Sukhwinder Bawa, Raj grew up in Chandigarh. After watching a cricket match in Dharamasala at age 11, he was left smitten by the sport, and started training under his father. A fast-bowling all-rounder, he made his debut for the Indian U-19 team in a youth ODI against Bangladesh in Sharjah, and since then, there has been no looking back for Bawa.

Punjab, aa raha hai dil pe karne 𝙍𝙖𝙟! ♥️#TATAIPLAuction #IPLAuction #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/6QTIsrLw5h

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 13, 2022

Vicky Ostwal, 19, Delhi Capitals, all-rounder

Vicky Ostwal, Delhi Capitals

Ostwal hails from the picturesque hill-station of Lonavala, and grew up in Pune. He started his cricket journey at nine. Vicky did his early training from Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in Mumbai. As a nine-year-old, he would travel from Lonavala to Mumbai by train to play. Listed in the Under 19 World Cup following his consistent all-round performance, his repertoire started shining bright after the finals of the U19 Asia Cup 2021 against Sri Lanka, where he picked a match figure of 8-3-11-3 to win the Player of the Match award. India scripted history by lifting the trophy for the seventh time in the tournament.

In the fierce battle to acquire finest services from cricketing talent, DC has picked up Ostwal at Rs 20 lakh. Ostwal made it to the Maharashtra Ranji Trophy squad as well, recently. Quite unlike the young brigade, he is a shy guy in social media. “When you can’t find sunshine, be the sunshine,” he stated on social media.

Hangargekar’s ‘run-up’ to stardom

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Chennai Super Kings

All-rounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar emerged as one of the new stars of the IPL mega-auction, where he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for Rs 1.5 crore. It’s no surprise, really, the young pacer has been the talk of the U-19 marquee tournament since he clocked 141.7 kph at the semi-final against Australia, a rare feat, for speeds above 140 kph aren’t often seen in the U-19 games. On Sunday, the star pacer triggered a bidding war between the Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. He will now play for CSK under the likes of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar is SOLD to @ChennaiIPL for INR 1.50 crore#TATAIPLAuction @TataCompanies

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 13, 2022

Hangargekar started out as an off-spinner and switched to fast bowling, after which he was selected to Maharashtra’s Under-16 squad for the Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2016-17. It was his then coach, Tejas Matapurkar, who spotted his promise as a pacer, finding that he had a decent raw speed but needed to improve his fitness and running speed. Hangargekar’s career has been a mix of ambition, hard work and the timely intervention of mentors and in 2016, he and Matapurkar would hop on to the latter’s bike and head to the athletics track. He learned running techniques from seasoned sprinting coach Sanjay Patankar.

In 2018, Mohan Jadhav entered the scene. Under his training, Hangargekar has clocked 143 kph during his practice. International cricket remains his ultimate goal. And, like his devoted coach, Matapurkar, Hangargekar rides his own Bullet now.

Arjun Tendulkar, 22, Mumbai Indians, bowler and batsman

Arjun Tendulkar, Mumbai Indians

Arjun Tendulkar is all set to play under his father Sachin Tendulkar’s mentorship after he was bought for Rs 30 lakh by Mumbai Indians. The left arm bowler and batsman, who also received a bid from Gujarat Titans, Arjun, has played two T20s for the Mumbai state team and is part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad, and likely to make his debut in the current season.

Incidentally, the 22-year-old made his under-19 debut for India against Sri Lanka in 2018, and his Twenty20 debut in January 2021 for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Haryana. Although, he was part of the MI squad for IPL 2021, he was later ruled out of the series due to an injury. Born to legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali, Arjun’s best mentor is, of course, his father. As he gears up for his debut this year, there might be pressure – due to expectations and when he faces some of the best players the sport has to offer.