India U19 skipper Yash Dhull said the team’s confidence and morale were high after star Indian batsman Virat Kohli wished them for the World Cup final.
India U19 team reached their fourth consecutive final of the U19 World Cup tournament after they hammered Australia U19 by 96 runs on Wednesday in Antigua.
Virat Kohli gave us his best wishes for the final: Yash Dhull
India have already won this tournament four times before in 2000, 2008, 2012 & 2018, Yash Dhull & co will aim for their fifth title against the England U19 team.
Dhull said that Kohli, who was the captain when the India U19 team lifted the title in 2008, boosted the team’s morale with his wisdom of words after their semi-final against Australia.
“Virat Kohli gave us his best wishes for the final. We got confidence from that, the morale increases when a senior player like him talks to you. He told us how we can execute our plans and he told us about the basics of the game. It was a nice interaction with him,” Dhull told news agency ANI.
The morale is high, everyone is excited about the game: Yash Dhull
In the semi-final clash against Australia, skipper Dhull and his deputy Shaik Rasheed were involved in a 204-run stand for the third wicket as Dhull scored a run-a-ball 110 while Rasheed missed the feat by six runs.
Dhull hammered 10 fours and a six, he smashed four boundaries to Australian pacer Tom Whitney, two in a row in the 45th over, before he nudged softly towards mid-wicket for a couple of runs and brought up his hundred.
The Indian skipper said that the team will approach the final match against England with a positive mindset and are ready to take the pressure for the big-ticket encounter.
“The morale is high, everyone is excited about the game. We will enter the contest with a positive frame of mind. England played a close match against Afghanistan, we will make our own game plans. We will look to carry our form into the final. Our spinners are nice, we will look to execute our plans,” said Dhull.
“Everyone is ready to give their 100 per cent, we will enter the final with a positive mindset. We are here to represent the country. We have gotten more experienced, we now know the value of time and how to prepare mentally for big games. Our game has also improved, we have learnt how to deal with pressure,” he added.
India U19 team will meet the England U19 team in the final of the ICC U19 World Cup on Saturday (February 5) in Antigua.