3 legends who never played in Under 19 for India

The U19 World Cup has been a breeding ground for emerging talents in India over the years. The inaugural Under-19 World Cup, initially named the Youth World Cup, took place in 1998. India has emerged as the most dominant team in the history of the tournament, securing the trophy five times. Mohammed Kaif made history by becoming the first Indian captain to lift the U19 World Cup in 2000.

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Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, India once again claimed the trophy in 2008. The team continued its success in 2012, 2018, and 2022 under the captaincy of Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, and Yash Dhull, respectively. Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of Indian fans, who treat the sport like a religion. The U19 World Cup serves as a significant platform, providing ample opportunities for budding cricketers in India.

However, over the years there have been various cricketers who have never played for India in U/19 but have established themselves as legends of the game.

Here are the three players who never played in U-19 for India:

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3. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin had the potential to participate in a U-19 World Cup, but his dual role as an opening batsman and part-time off-spinner at the junior level might have impacted his chances. While representing Tamil Nadu at the junior level, Ashwin played as an opening batsman and fulfilled a similar role for the India U-17 team.

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However, the combination of batting and bowling responsibilities might have influenced his exclusion from the India U-17 team. Despite not playing in the U-19 World Cup in 2006, Ashwin later achieved success by winning the senior World Cup five years later.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar stands out as one of the rare cricketers who represented India at the highest level without having played for the junior team. Deemed too skilled for U19 cricket, he directly transitioned to playing in the Ranji Trophy without featuring in the Mumbai U19 team. In 1989, Sachin earned a call-up to the Test team and made his debut in both Test and ODI formats against Pakistan.

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Sachin Tendulkar amassed 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs, participating in six World Cups and contributing to India's victory in the 2011 edition. His Test cricket career spanned 24 years, during which he scored 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches. The Master Blaster holds the records for the most Test runs and the highest number of appearances in red-ball matches in international cricket.

1. MS Dhoni

 A legendary figure in Indian cricket, MS Dhoni did not feature in the India U19 team, although he did participate in junior cricket for his state team. Despite missing out on the U19 squad, India secured victory in the junior World Cup in 2000. MS Dhoni's impressive performances in domestic cricket and for India A paved the way for his inclusion in the national team. Making his ODI debut in 2004, Dhoni went on to play 350 ODIs, captaining the side in 200 of them. He holds the unique distinction of being the only captain to win all three white-ball trophies.

MS Dhoni entered Test cricket in 2005, participating in 90 matches. Assuming the role of the all-format captain for Team India in 2008, Dhoni achieved the remarkable feat of leading the Test team to the top spot in the rankings. In a surprising move, MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2014 becoming India's most successful Test captain at the time of his departure. The legendary Indian batter who captained India to 27 wins in 60 matches, eventually retired from international cricket in 2020.