Cricket Tragic Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Unmukt Chand is on a high these days. The 18-year-old could well be the next to make it big from Delhi's formidable batting stable. Leading from the front in India's triumph in the four-nation U-19 tournament in Visakhapatnam last week, he amassed 336 runs to finish as the second highest run-getter in the series, just one run behind Australia's Cameron Bancroft. Rich praise After scoring 400 runs at 57.14 in his Ranji debut last season, this performance suggests he is on the right track. Former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, the Delhi coach, paid the ultimate compliment. He reminds me of Sachin Tendulkar. He is that good. He swiftly added a rider: But Tendulkar had a stable head on his shoulders. Traditionally, India U-19 skippers have been pitch-forked into the limelight and Chand will be no different. However, consistency and nurturing of his talent will dictate his progress. Chand displays the verve of youth. Leading India gave me a lot of confidence. It helped me with my batting too. It has been a bonus of sorts. His Delhi teammate Virat Kohli and Mohd Kaif are among those U-19 skippers who made the transition besides the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, who also shone as juniors. However, many have failed. The first names that spring to mind are Ravikant Shukla and Ambati Rayudu. Ashok Menaria, who led the U-19 squad in the last World Cup, is grinding it out in domestic cricket. To make the senior grade from U-19, you need two things vacancy and consistency, says Shukla, who was captain at the 2006 World Cup. Shukla admits he failed the consistency test. Cheteshwar Pujara, who was part of that squad, has made his Test debut. He kept doing well for a long time, and eventually got a chance. For Chandrakant Pandit, coach of the 2010 U-19 World Cup team, it is not the quality that matters. It is not about how many runs you score. It's also how you score. Look at Kohli. He always looked a quality player. Twenty20 impact The influence of T20 on youngsters can work both ways. When Prabhakar talks about a stable head, he means Chand needs to be selective in his shots. At the higher level, you need patience. The higher you go, the more vulnerable you become. Balwinder Sandhu, who coached the 2002 World Cup team, says, BCCI shouldn't allow U-19 players to play T20 till they've played 15-20 first-class matches. He has a reason. The talented Ambati Rayudu lost his way after dabbling in T20s. He's a great talent but plays too many shots. Chand, who was picked by Delhi Daredevils, is unfazed. Balancing all formats is the demand of modern-day cricket. I feel I can handle it. http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-high-potential-Colts-skipper/Article1-758132.aspx
Cricket Tragic Posted October 16, 2011 Author Posted October 16, 2011 Has anyone watched this kid bat?
speed_demon Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Has anyone watched this kid bat? yes, he was comprehensively bowled by malinga's yorker....
speed_demon Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 But he has lot of potential, as described in the document, let him play some more Domestic Matches first, I'm sure he will be in the team sooner or later, with the talent he has, but "potential has to be realized first". Will depend how he performs in Australia, in the series pre-world cup and then during the U19 world cup.
saneindian Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 I meant in FC cricket. Have seen his bat live in a ranji match. Even though the opponents were Assam, the bowling attack had some good bowlers in nechim, mali and one more pacer. Looked a very compact batsman and a technically correct one. Strong defence, can cut and pull and on a pitch that had a lot of seam and swing he displayed great footwork. If Delhi play any Ranji match again this year, will try to go for one of those again. Am interested to see how he has developed in the last 12 months.
rkt.india Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Have seen his bat live in a ranji match. Even though the opponents were Assam' date=' the bowling attack had some good bowlers in nechim, [b']mali and one more pacer. Looked a very compact batsman and a technically correct one. Strong defence, can cut and pull and on a pitch that had a lot of seam and swing he displayed great footwork. If Delhi play any Ranji match again this year, will try to go for one of those again. Am interested to see how he has developed in the last 12 months. How is Mali? Was not playing in Buchi Babu.
saneindian Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 How is Mali? Was not playing in Buchi Babu. Was struggling for rhythm and bowled quite a few no balls. Isn't very tall but looks skinny and doesnt have a very strong build. Does seem to have a good outswing but then pitch at Roshanara ground in Delhi in early winters does aid the bowlers quite a lot. Even to the naked eye, Nechim easily looked a lot faster than him.
Cricket Tragic Posted October 17, 2011 Author Posted October 17, 2011 Have seen his bat live in a ranji match. Even though the opponents were Assam, the bowling attack had some good bowlers in nechim, mali and one more pacer. Looked a very compact batsman and a technically correct one. Strong defence, can cut and pull and on a pitch that had a lot of seam and swing he displayed great footwork. If Delhi play any Ranji match again this year, will try to go for one of those again. Am interested to see how he has developed in the last 12 months. Cheers
Cricket Tragic Posted November 20, 2011 Author Posted November 20, 2011 Scored a good 86 today against TN Decent score in the second dig as well.
Sid Posted November 20, 2011 Posted November 20, 2011 I saw both Chand and Aparajit bat in this match and both looked good to me.Chand iin particular is a really impressive stroke player.
Cricket Tragic Posted November 20, 2011 Author Posted November 20, 2011 How was Aparajit's bowling? He didn't take any wickets IIRC.
Sid Posted November 20, 2011 Posted November 20, 2011 I didnt watch him bowl ,cant really say anything about his bowling.
saneindian Posted November 20, 2011 Posted November 20, 2011 How was Aparajit's bowling? He didn't take any wickets IIRC. Nothing great about his bowling so far. Flights the ball and gets it to turn and bouce, but is very slow through the air and hence easier for the batsmen to pick. But he is just 17, will add more strength as his body develops in the days ahead . Plus work on his bowling and add more variations. Perhaps not yet ready for first class cricket. IMO should ideally play the u-19 and u-22 tournaments for a season or two with an occasional Ranji match here and there as a part of the development process.
jairamesh Posted November 20, 2011 Posted November 20, 2011 remember this guy play a few crazy blistering innings in a recent U19 Four Nation Cup.
Cricket Tragic Posted November 20, 2011 Author Posted November 20, 2011 Nothing great about his bowling so far. Flights the ball and gets it to turn and bouce, but is very slow through the air and hence easier for the batsmen to pick. But he is just 17, will add more strength as his body develops in the days ahead . Plus work on his bowling and add more variations. Perhaps not yet ready for first class cricket. IMO should ideally play the u-19 and u-22 tournaments for a season or two with an occasional Ranji match here and there as a part of the development process. Cheers!
Chandan Posted April 16, 2012 Posted April 16, 2012 By Nishad Pai Vaidya April 16, 2012, Unmukt Chand serves notice with spectacular performances in Australia A hundred against a Pat Cummins-powered Australia underlined the talent of India under-19 captain Unmukt Chand By Nishad Pai Vaidya India Under-19's (U-19) triumphant campaign in the Quadrangular Under-19 series Down Under was a powerful performance that would boost their confidence ahead of the big tournament the ICC U-19 World Cup. This victory is an ideal preparation for the biggest junior tournament which would be played in August later this year in Australia. The last time India lifted the U-19 World Cup was in the year 2008 which came under the leadership of Virat Kohli whose special batting talent was earmarked for greater honours. This time around, Unmukt Chand - a Delhi boy, like Kohli - looks set to lead India's charge at the U-19 World Cup and would aim to emulate the feats of Kohli's team. It wasn't just his captaincy that orchestrated the recent success in Australia, but his prolific batting also caught the eye. This isn't the first time when Chand has led the team from the front to a victory. In October, a similar quadrangular tournament was held in India, during which Chand was amongst the leading run-scorers as India clinched the trophy in a thrilling final. Here is Chand's record in U-19 cricket M Runs Avg 100s 50s Highest Overall 12 617 68.55 2 2 122* Quadrangular in India 7 336 67.20 1 2 122* Quadrangular in Australia 5 281 70.25 1 1 112* In the semi final of the tournament in Australia, Chand scored a crucial 94 to guide India to victory. However, he saved his best for the final against Australia as his 112 not out ensured India clinched the cup without hiccups. Chand's hundred is meritorious considering the fact that the sensational Pat Cummins was a part of the Australian bowling attack. Chand had played two games for the Delhi Daredevils in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The transition seemed huge as two dangerous bowlers got the better of him Lasith Malinga and Shane Warne. Despite that performance, Delhi have maintained their confidence in his talent and included him in their setup for this season as well. His T20 record doesn't reflect his talent and that is something he would like to work upon when the opportunity comes his way. In the 2010-11 domestic season, Chand made his first-class debut at the young age of 17. Since then he has progressed well and is proving his talent. His first-class record: M Runs Avg 100s 50s Highest 11 738 43.41 1 4 151 For a teenager, an average of 43 after two seasons in first-class cricket is good number. The fact that he has scored a hundred and four fifties tells you that he can do well in the longer formats. Chand's real test would come in August when he is likely to lead India at the junior World Cup. The tournaments they have played in the lead-up would serve as good preparation, but the World Cup always generates a different level of pressure. For inspiration to handle that pressure and score runs consistently, he needn't look further than state-mate Kohli.
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