Late appointment of selection panels sees first hurdle as U-19 team picked in haste

The delay in appointment of selection panels has forced the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to hastily arrange an under-19 men’s squad that will play the Vinoo Mankad One-Dayers from October 9. Delhi face Assam in the season opener on October 9 in Ranchi.

The DDCA selection panel meeting, led by Chairperson Ashu Dani and attended by selectors Praveen Gupta and Abhishek Sharma, Chief Coach Raju Sharma, Secretary Ashok Sharma, Joint Secretary Amit Grover and Cricket Advisory Committee Member Anjali Sharma met on Friday to pick the 23-member team.

It should be noted that the third round of trials could not be completed because of rains over the last couple of days.

The team had to be largely selected from the under-19 league and also from last year.

Delhi play the first Vinoo Mankad Trophy match on October 9 and the squad had to be submitted by Friday night.

Take the case of batsman Agamjyot Singh, who had an average stint in the under-19 league stage but then roared back with a fifty, receiving accolades, in the only trial game he got in the first two rounds. But when the make-or-break opportunity came his way in the third round, it was washed away by rains. While many of the others got an opportunity in third round because it didn’t rain that day, he failed to get a chance. There were others like him too who couldn’t get the opportunity.

This situation was forced upon the selectors by the late appointment of selection committees. It should be noted that the selection panel was confirmed only on September 27, just 12 days before the first match was to get underway.

The squad will be led by India under-19 player and talented all-rounder Pranav Pant and it includes the dashing batting duo Aaryavir Sehwag and Arnav Bugga. India under-19 pace bowler Uddhav Mohan will join the team after returning from the Australia tour.  

Squad

Pranav Pant (Captain), Arnav Bugga, Aaryavir Sehwag, Dhanya Nakra, Naitik Mathur, Mohak Kumar, Tanmay Chaudhary, Abhiraj Gagan Singh (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Kumar Chumbak, Kirit Kaushik, Laxman, Nakul Yadav, Siddharth, Dhruv Bindra, Shantanu Yadav, Somil Aggarwal, Atulya Pandey, Aman Tyagi, Vivaan Jindal, Aman Mishra, Aditya Malhotra, Priyansh Pandey, Pranit Sethi.

*Pace bowler Uddhav Mohan will join the team after returning from the Australia where he is with the India under-19 team.  

Tags : Delhi cricket, Under-19, selection, Aaryavir Sehwag, Pranav Pant, Vinoo Mankad Trophy