The 2008 U-19 World Cup occupies a particular place in Virat Kohli’s cricketing career because it was the competition that started it all for the Indian cricket team captain. Kohli was instrumental in India’s victory over South Africa in the final, which they won by 12 runs (D/L). While some of the players of the group went on to represent India at the international level, others went on to pursue occupations unrelated to cricket.
In the ten years since the 2008 U-19 World Cup victory, a few members of the squad have established their place in the national team, while others have fallen victim to hubris.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was touted as the next great thing in Indian cricket after guiding India to victory in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. In August 2008, only five months after India’s under-19 victory, he was named to India’s team to face Sri Lanka. Kohli has come a long way to establish himself as one of the best cricketers in the world. He is undoubtedly the finest batsman in this generation across all three forms at the moment.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli’s deputy, is one of the other players who has firmly established himself in the senior squad. Jadeja has been an important member of the Indian cricket squad after a spectacular batting performance and subsequent development as a spinner. Following the World Cup, he played for the Rajasthan Royals in the first season of the Indian Premier League, earning praise from all quarters, including his coach-cum-captain, Shane Warne, who dubbed him “The Rockstar.”
Ajitesh Argal
Ajitesh Argal’s 2-7 in 5 overs in the finals secured India’s victory and earned him the Man of the Match award. He failed to get going and attain greater heights despite playing 10 first-class matches, three List A matches, and six T20s. He was also selected for the Indian Premier League’s Kings XI Punjab, but he could not make the most of the opportunity. In Vadodara, he works as an Income Tax Department inspector.
Napoleon Einstein
The batsman, who made headlines due to his odd name, was chosen by Chennai Super Kings for the 2008 Indian Premier League season. However, nothing is known about him, and some sources indicate that the right-handed batter no longer plays professional cricket.
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Taruwar Kohli
Taruwar Kohli, a middle-order batsman, was asked to open India’s innings in the 2008 U-19 World Cup, and the right-hander responded to the challenge, scoring three consecutive fifties in the tournament’s early stages. In the first season of the Indian Premier League, Taruwar Kohli played for Rajasthan Royals, while in the second iteration, he joined Kings XI Punjab.
Abhinav Mukund
Abhinav Mukund was one of the U-19 World Cup-winning team faces who had a successful domestic season. He has played for the national team several times but was unable to get a position. Mukund is a well-known cricketer on the local circuit, having been a leading run-scorer for Tamil Nadu, the South Zone, India A, and the Rest of India.
Tanmay Srivastava
Tanmay Srivastava, who scored the most runs in the 2008 U19 World Cup, struggled on the international stage. He was expected to be a huge star in the U-19 World Cup, but things did not go as planned for him. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Kings XI Punjab, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, and Deccan Chargers but failed to make an impact.
Saurabh Tiwary
Tiwary appeared in three One-Day Internationals for India. In the 2010 IPL, he was selected by the Mumbai Indians and went on to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils, and Rising Pune Supergiants. Tiwary continues to play domestic cricket for his home state of Jharkhand.
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey has gone a long way since his debut in the U-19 World Cup for India. Despite the fact that he has yet to solidify his place in the national team, he is in and out of the squad. He has also performed admirably in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and in the game’s shortest version.
Siddarth Kaul
Siddharth Kaul has been a prolific wicket-taker for Punjab in the domestic circuit over the previous several years, anchoring their pace attack. Kaul took ten wickets in just five matches during the 2008 under-19 World Cup campaign. Unfortunately, his international performance has been below average, and he has fallen out of favor with the Indian cricket squad.
Shreevats Goswami
On the home circuit, Shreevats Goswami has had a successful career. He is still the team’s go-to batsman and occasionally scores a lot of runs. However, Goswami’s career has been difficult, and his poor performance has prevented him from progressing.
