The head of the National Cricket Academy and former India cricketer V.V.S. Laxman praised the resilience of the victorious Under-19 squad given that several players, including skipper Yash Dhull, had tested COVID positive during the tournament.
“In the middle of this tournament, we all know what happened to the boys. To test positive, but to show that kind of resilience and positive attitude was just exemplary,” said Laxman after India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph.
Commending the selection committee and coaching staff, Laxman said, “It was a new selection committee and it was quite challenging for them to identify this group. The way the coaching staff — with Hrishikesh [Kantikar] as the head coach, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali — brought this group together, they worked hard. They won the Asia Cup and the preparation for this World Cup was fantastic.”
“Over the last two years, because of COVID, they didn't play any tournament and that's why I think this tournament win is very special,” the former India great added.
Just the start
While congratulating the team, Laxman also insisted, “this is just the start of the journey. Everyone in this group understands that because this is all about their development as players, as persons. It's great to see the way they have developed, the way they've evolved over the last couple of months and so it's very exciting times for all of them. But it's just the start of the journey as a cricketer.”
