5 Indian Players Who Were Promising At Under-19 Level But Couldn't Make International Debut  

It takes a lot of struggle and commitment to become a national-level cricketer. Especially in India, with so many players aspiring to become cricketers, there is huge competition. Players have to show consistent performances at various levels to earn a chance to play for the national team.

There are many Indian cricketers who were promising players at the Under-19 level but could make it to the national team. These players gained the spotlight with their stupendous performances at the Under-19 level.

However, lack of consistency didn’t give them a chance to play for the national team. Here we look at 5 Indian players who were promising at the Under-19 level but could not make an international debut.

5 Indian Players Who Were Promising At Under-19 Level But Couldn’t Make International Debut

Tanmay Srivastava

Tanmay Srivastava was part of the U-19 Indian team that won the World Cup in 2008. The Indian team also consisted of players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Manish Pandey. However, Tanmay Srivastava was the tournament’s top scorer with 262 runs.

He also smashed a crucial 43 runs in the final against South Africa. He was given an IPL contract by Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2008 and IPL 2009. However, he played only 7 matches and scored 8 runs. Srivastava was a promising player at the under-19 level but he could not make a debut in the national team. He announced his retirement in 2020.

Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh

Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh was a pace bowler from Tamil Nadu. He came to the limelight with his performance during Under-19 World Cup 2006, when he scalped 11 wickets. He also played for Delhi Daredevils in IPL. In the first season of IPL 2008, Mahesh showed a magnificent performance with 16 wickets in 11 matches. However, in the later editions, he played fewer matches.

He played 1 match each in IPL 2009 and IPL 2010, picking 1 wicket each in both seasons. He played his last IPL tournament in 2012 for Chennai Super Kings, in which he picked 3 wickets in 5 games. He did not manage to make a debut in the national team and announced retirement in 2020.

Gaurav Dhiman

Gaurav Dhiman is a brilliant all-rounder who played for India in the U-19 World Cup 2006. He was an aggressive right-handed batsman and medium-pacer. Dhiman was also picked by Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2008 and IPL 2009 respectively but did not feature in any match.

Dhiman was considered to be a future star all-rounder for India, however, he could not make it to the national team.

Manvinder Bisla

Manvinder Bisla was a promising wicket-keeper batsman for India. He was the highest run-scorer for India at the 2002 U-19 World Cup. With his impressive batting, he earned an IPL contract. He played for Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009 and Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2010.

In IPL 2012 and IPL 2013, he showed a spectacular performance while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 213 runs and 255 runs respectively. He hit a match-winning knock of 89 runs off 48 balls against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2012 final and helped Kolkata Knight Riders to lift the title.  He was a promising player at one point, however, he could make an international debut.

Unmukt Chand

Unmukt Chand rose to fame after he led India Under-19 team to victory in U-19 Cricket World Cup 2012. He also hit an unbeaten century (111) in the final against Australia. He also played for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2013, however, he could perform brilliantly in the Indian Premier League.

He played 7 matches and scored only 61 runs. He played 1 match for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2014, scoring 2 runs. Mumbai Indians bought Unmukt Chand in IPL 2015 where he scored 102 runs in 6 matches. He could not rise to fame in IPL and hence couldn’t catch the eyesight of selectors for a national call-up.