Even as cricket fans across the country are still celebrating the twin treat — the CB series title and the Junior World Cup — so far, the young turks appear to be having their much-deserved share of the spotlight.
At a time when the cricketing world was riveted to the action in Australia where MS Dhoni & Co were pounding the Aussies in their den in the title showdown, the triumphant U-19 team, upon their arrival from Kuala Lumpur, received a hero’s welcome in Bangalore where they touched down.
Gracing the occasion were BCCI president Sharad Pawar, UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Karnataka Cricket Association Secretary Brijesh Patel, and several top cricket administration honchos.
The rousing welcome that Virat Kohli, Tanmay Srivastava & Co received in Bangalore was overwhelming proof of how much the colts were the cynosure, even as Sachin Tendulkar set up a humdinger of a final far down south in Australia.
There was the typical open-bus celebratory drive, from the airport to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the screaming crowds, flocking shutterbugs, banners and balloons, and hundreds of fans screaming their lungs out.
Last Sunday, The U-19 team got the better of South Africa in a thrilling 12-run win and clinched the World Cup for the second time in eight years. Back in 2000, the juniors led by Mohammed Kaif had won the title in Colombo.