Xtra Time Web Desk : India U19 cricketer Raj Angad Bawa impressed one and all in the recently concluded ACC U-19 Asia Cup held in Dubai. The youngster from Punjab was the leading wicket taker for India in the tournament. He claimed a total of 8 wickets.
Raj started his cricket training under his father Sukhwinder Bawa. Sukhwinder also happens to be the coach of former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Sukhwinder initially trained his son to be a pacer before concentrating on his batting. He wanted his son to become an all rounder in the mould of his illustrious student Yuvraj.
In the recently concluded U-19 Asia Cup, left-handed Raj produced an all-round effort, amassing 68 runs and eight wickets including the four wickets against arch rivals Pakistan in group league match. Prior to the U-19 Asia Cup, Raj scored 154 runs in the U-19 Challenger Trophy and claimed eight wickets.
Actually, Raj hails from a sporting family. His grandfather Tarlochan Singh Bawa was a member of the 1948 Olympics gold medal- winning Indian hockey team. His father was a cricketer but failed to make it to the bigger stage. Sukhwinder is actively involved in coaching.
It has been an impressive outing for Raj in ACC U-19 Asia Cup. But the bigger challenge lies ahead when the India-U19 team travel to the Caribbean for the ICC U-19 World Cup to be held later this month. It goes to be seen if Raj can emulate his role model Yuvraj Singh by winning the U19 World Cup.