Xtra Time Web Desk : World Cup winning India U19 captain Yash Dhull recently opened up on his life after winning that historic final against England to which won India their 5th title.
In an interview with PTI, Dhull said, “I have hardly slept the last few days but it is not something I can complain about. What I have done till now is done, I need to focus on what lies in the immediate future,”
Most of the World Cup winning squad members won’t go on and play for India but Dhull showed in the Caribbean that he could move up the ladder and play at the highest level. He has set himself an 18-month target to play for India.
“That is my target but If I am not able to do that in the 18 month time frame, I will keep working hard till I attain my goal,” said the soft-spoken cricketer.
The 19-year-old is third captain from Delhi to win the title after Virat Kohli and Unmukt Chand, who both had contrasting career graphs post their exploits in the U-19 World Cup. He is inspired by Kohli and his achievements but there is also the story of Chand, who succumbed to pressure of expectations he set with his performance in the 2012 edition.
“The names you have taken (Kohli and Chand), I am not thinking on those lines. I want to remain humble and not think about the future too much.”
“Virat bhai shared his experience with me on what happened with him post the U19 World Cup (in 2008). I got to know a lot from approaching my career from here on, the chat with him has helped me understand things I need to focus on going forward and things I need to avoid,” he said referring to the conversation with Kohli on the eve of the World Cup final on Saturday.
The switch from U-19 to first-class is a big one but Dhull believes it is something he can handle.
“I will have to change my mindset for the red ball game, preparation will be different. I don’t think it will be a lot different and tougher than white ball. The red ball does a bit early on but if you can see that initial period batting becomes easier.
“It is all about the mindset from here on. Physically how fit you are. It is not one specific area, I will have to work on all my shots to become a better player,” said Dhull when asked about areas of improvement.
The skipper impressed many with his range of strokes, strike rotation and the tempo of his innings in the Caribbean where he overcame COVID-19 to take his team past the finishing line.