From U-19 to IPL: Coach reflects on Vihaan Malhotra's RCB journey

Kamalpreet Sandhu, coach of India U-19 cricketer Vihaan Malhotra, discussed the youngster's journey and growth after his IPL selection by RCB. Sandhu highlighted his progress from district level and his recent Asia Cup experience.

Kamalpreet Sandhu, coach of India Under-19 cricketer Vihaan Malhotra, reflected on the youngster's journey and growth after he was recently picked up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Speaking about Vihaan's rise through the ranks, Sandhu told ANI, "It's been 5-6 years since he (Vihaan Malhotra) started training here... like other players, he started his journey at the district and state levels, and then went on to play under-19."

He highlighted Malhotra's steady progress, adding that the batter has already gained valuable exposure at the international youth level. "He recently played in the Asia Cup," Sandhu noted, underlining the importance of such tournaments in shaping a young cricketer.

The coach also spoke about the significance of Malhotra's IPL move, calling it a major milestone in his career. "RCB acquired him for the IPL," Sandhu said, expressing confidence that the franchise environment will further help the teenager develop as a professional cricketer.

Looking ahead, Sandhu pointed out the areas of focus for Malhotra's game, especially in the shortest format. "We will work on his shots since it's a 20-over format, which is quite short," he said, emphasising the need for adaptability and innovation in T20 cricket as the young batter prepares for the challenges at the highest level.

ACC Asia Cup Final Highlights

Earlier, Pakistan batter Sameer Minhas made history, outdoing Shahzaib Khan for the highest individual score by a Pakistani batter in Youth ODIs on Sunday.

Minhas achieved this milestone during his side's ACC Asia Cup final against India at Dubai. In his innings, Minhas scored 172 in just 113 balls, with 17 fours and nine sixes, at a strike rate of 152.21.

This is the eighth-highest score ever in Youth ODI history, with South Africa's J van Schalkwyk (215 in 153 balls, with 19 fours and six sixes earlier this year) at the top.

Match Summary

Coming to the match, India won the toss and opted to field first. Pakistan did lose wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor (18 in 14) early at a score of 131, but Sameer had a 92-run stand with Usman Khan (35 in 45 balls, with three fours and a six) and a 137-run stand with Ahmed Hussain (56 in 72 balls, with three fours and a six), but after this partnership, Pakistan U19 kept losing wickets at regular intervals. After Minhas was dismissed at the score of 302 in 42.5 overs as the fourth wicket, Pakistan was restricted to 347/8 in 50 overs, with Niqab Shafiq (12*) and Mohammad Sayyam (13*) unbeaten. Deepesh Devendran (3/83), Khilan Patel (2/44) and Henil Patel (2/62) were among the top wicket-takers. India needs to score 348 runs to secure the title.

Previous Encounter

In the previous clash between these two sides, Aaron George (85 in 88 balls, with 12 fours and a six) and Kanishk Chauhan (46 in 46 balls, with two fours and three sixes) took India U19 to 240 in 46.1 overs, with three-fers from Mohammad Sayyam and Abdul Subhan. In reply, Pakistan was bundled out for just 150 in 41.2 overs. Huzaifa Ahsan (70 in 83 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) fought for Pakistan, but Deepesh Devendran (3/16) and Kanishk (3/33) proved to be a class apart. (ANI)

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