The triumph of the Hyderabad Under-19 team in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tournament for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy was a refreshing change. They defeated Punjab by five wickets in a rain-hit final in Rajkot recently. That this is only the third BCCI title won by Hyderabad — apart from the two Ranji triumphs in 1937-38 and 1986-87 — adds sheen to the remarkable achievement of the lads and speaks highly of their ability to shut out the noise and stay focused on the goal. It was a collective effort under coach Bavanaka Sandeep’s guidance despite him taking charge of the team just one day before the tournament started. AARON GEORGEThe 19-year-old has been a part of the Hyderabad U-19 team for the last four seasons. A quarterfinal finish last season seems to have spurred Aaron and he acquitted himself well by winning the title in his second season as the captain. He topped the batting charts with 373 runs this year and made the top three of the tournament’s list of batters. He was the top run-getter (341) for Hyderabad last season too.The opener started playing with plastic balls with his father at home when he was just six. “My father joined me in an academy with Subash sir when I was eight. We practised at DAV School, Safilguda. Then I joined Delhi Public School, Nacharam and played for my school. I trained with Biju Nair sir on campus,” Aaron, who lives in Mallapur in Nacharam, told STOI.Soon, his performances caught the eye of selectors. He made the Hyderabad U-16 Vijay Merchant team in 2022-23 and stood out with his unbeaten 303 against Bihar. He captained the state team at the U-19 Cooch Behar tournament when he was 17 and became the captain of the Vinoo Mankad team last year. His prolific run earned him a place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) camp and he also led Team E in the NCA tournament. Aaron idolises Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers. “My ultimate goal is to play for the country. Now I train at Coaching Beyond and work with team India’s former fielding coach R Sridhar.” The B Com first year student from Bhavan’s Vivekananda College also attributes his success to the constant support of his parents Easo Varghese and Preethi.Aaron George performance in Vinoo Mankad TrophyMatches 8; Innings 8; Runs 373; NO 1; HS-112*; Ave: 62.17. SR: 146.85; 100s 2; 50s 1Highlights112* vs Chhattisgarh in league match111 vs Himachal Pradesh in league matchYASHVEER GOUDThe left-arm spinner played a key role with 15 wickets in eight matches. His performance includes two four-wicket hauls and he made the top three list of bowlers in the tournament. His 3/22 in the final against Punjab tilted the scales for Hyderabad. Yashveer was also part of the team last year, when he played three matches and took five wickets.Like all boys his age, Yashveer played ‘gully’ cricket in Amberpet before his parents Rajkumar and Vani took him to a coaching academy — Daniel’s CA — when he was eight.After a six-year stint at the academy with coach Kamlesh, the bowling all-rounder joined Bhavan’s College, Sainikpuri, for his Intermediate and started training with Krishna Mohan. His first major breakthrough came when he was selected for the state U-16 team. “I performed well in the league and got selected for the state team in 2023. I was also part of the U-19 team. I took 21 wickets in five matches in the Cooch Behar and scored a century, while I took 20 wickets in Vijay Merchant tournament,” said Yashveer, who is now doing BCom at Bhavan’s Vivekananda Degree College.Yashveer is a handy batter too and admires Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. He hopes to emulate them by representing the country. “Right now, I am working hard. I practice five to six hours every day to hone my skills,” he pointed out.Yashveer Goud performances in the tournamentMatches 8; wickets 15; Ave 17.13; Eco 4.43; 4s 1Highlights4/36 vs Karnataka4/41 vs Himachal Pradesh3/22 vs PunjabWAFI KACHCHHIA fine all-rounder in the making, Wafi Kachchhi opened the innings in six matches. He scored 281 runs and claimed 11 wickets with his off-spin. He had excellent returns of 5/9 (4.5-3-9-5) against Tripura and hit an unbeaten 164 against Himachal Pradesh.He did not mind the promotion to open after batting in the middle in the first two matches. “As a player, we have to do what the team requires. I wasn’t worried when I was batting in the middle order. I am ready to do whatever is required of me,” he said. “We got an opportunity to win the tournament after so many years for Hyderabad. And to achieve it is a great feeling,” he added.Wafi started his cricketing journey at the City CA as a nine-year-old with his brother Ali Kachchhi, who is now part of the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy team, as his inspiration. “I am glad to have my father Diamond Kachchhi and mother Sameera’s backing. I discuss the game with my brother. We discuss tactics and situations.”Wafi is aware that being an all-rounder is hard work but is trying to add more variety to his off-spin. “It’s tough to work on bowling after spending a lot of time batting in the nets. But I feel that is when you need to show up. That’s what yields results,” said the Intermediate second year student.Wafi is an ardent fan of Tendulkar and is more realistic with his target. “My immediate goal is to play next year’s U-19 World Cup. I am working very hard for it.”Wafi Kachchi performancesM 8; I 8; Runs 281; NO 2; HS 164*; Ave 46.83; SR 91.83; 100 1; 50 1Bowling: M 8, Wkts 11Highlights5/9 (4.5-3-9-5) vs Tripura164* vs Himachal PradeshALANKRITH RAPOLEHyderabad were reeling at 8/2 when Alankrith walked in to bat in the final against Punjab in a low-scoring but tricky chase of 112. It soon became 26/5 inside five overs. But the wicketkeeper-batter did not let the situation get to him. He produced an unbeaten 58 to lead the side to victory, adding 86 priceless runs with Aawez Ahmed.“We were struggling, but we were determined to win the match. We talked to each other frequently and kept motivating each other to keep going. I am grateful to be part of this team,” Alankrith told STOI.Having practised match situations with his dad helped. “My dad (Amit Kumar) always speaks about crunch situations. We practice every match scenario.”Alankrith began playing cricket at the age of 12 for fun. But once his father realised his ward’s interest in the game, he became his full-time coach. “My father used to play cricket. Once he saw me play well when I was 12 and decided to train me. I took up wicketkeeping inspired by MS Dhoni,” revealed the 18-year-old, who put a full stop to his studies after Class X to focus on the game.Alakrith, who also admires Virat Kohli, made it to the state Cooch Behar U-19 team two years ago and then the Vinoo Mankad squad last year. He was part of the NCA camp too. He was a standby for the India U-19 team that toured England and Australia. “Right now, my focus is on the next year’s U-19 World Cup,” said the Boduppal resident.Alankrith Rapole performances in the tournamentMatches 8; Innings 6; Runs 233; Not Outs 2; HS-58*; Ave 58.25; 50s 2Highlights58* vs Punjab in the final
