Made Sure I Gave Him Enough Time So That Yash Dhull Would Stay Focused On Cricket, Says Yash's Father Vijay Dhull

India’s newly-appointed U19 skipper Yash Dhull’s father Vijay Dhull has said that he made sure he gave Yash enough time to keep him focused on cricket. On Friday, December 10, Yash was appointed as the captain of the team for the U19 Asia Cup to be played in the UAE.

Yash became the 45th boy to lead the India junior team and has joined the elite list consisting of the likes of Ravi Shastri, Saba Karim, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif, Ambati Rayadu, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan and many more.

Yash Dhull To Lead The Young Indians

Yash honed his skills at the Bal Bhavan school in Dwarka. The aggressive middle-order batsman became a celebrity in the academy moments after BCCI appointed him as the skipper for the Asia Cup. Felicitation ceremonies and events were planned by the school within a few hours after the announcement.

However, the newly-appointed U19 skipper didn’t react much and said “Just start hi kar raha hoon (I am just starting out),” and added that if he keeps playing sincerely, he will play at a good level.

He also revealed that he used to watch cricket most of the time either on TV or mobile and added that he doesn’t have a role model.

“Anyone who plays at the international level is good enough to learn from. I follow everyone’s game closely. I don’t copy anybody, but everyone is my hero,” Yash says.

He further added that anyone who plays at the international level is good to learn from and he doesn’t copy any player’s game

“Anyone who plays at the international level is good enough to learn from. I follow everyone’s game closely. I don’t copy anybody, but everyone is my hero,” he further added.

Yash went to remember how his family went through tough times to support him as his career in the game was non-negotiable.

“I don’t remember much but when I was very young my family had to go through a tough time to support me,” Yash says.

Meanwhile, Yash’s father Vijay Dhull went on to explain the kind of sacrifices he made to make sure his son made a career in cricket in Delhi.

Vijay Dhull explains his sacrifices for his son 

“You have to make certain compromises if you want your son to build a career in cricket in a city like Delhi. I had to make sure I gave him enough time so that he would stay focused on cricket and not stray. My career was secondary. So, I quit my regular job and started doing consultancy. There was financial instability,” said Vijay.

“I had to ensure he got the best kit and gear to play from an early age. I gave him the best of English willow bats. He didn’t have just one bat, I kept upgrading them. We had cut down on our expenses and luxuries. My father was an army man. The pension that he received was used to run the household. Yash would always wonder how we were managing it.”

He reveals that his wife was the first person to insist to him that Yash should become a cricketer. Yash was four-year-old when his mother saw him play for the first time

“My wife was the first person to insist that Yash should become a cricketer. She noticed that the boy had some ability and thus we decided to get him formal coaching at the age of six. She was happy to cut down on family trips and all expenses,” Vijay says

Yash started playing at an academy at Bharati College at the age of four before moving to Bal Bhavan at the age of 11. one year later, he represented Delhi U14. Vijay recalls how his father used to take Yash around the city to play back-to-back games n a day.

“Yash’s grandfather was also very supportive. When I would get busy with work, he used to take Yash around the city to play back-to-back matches in a day. He too has exerted a lot,” an emotional Vijay recalls.

Yash got the confidence of playing the game at the highest level when he amassed 185 runs against Punjab in a U19 game to save the game for his side. Meanwhile, Yash started training with his father as COVID 19 spread meant outdoor activities were banned. Vijay reveals that he knew the basics of training and trained his son on the terrace.

“He would talk to his coach Rajesh Nagar over phone and share videos. I used to go to an academy as a kid myself. I know the basics of training. I would give him practice in the nets on the terrace. We worked on his inside-out shot over covers. He plays it with ease now,” Vijay says.

“We don’t talk about cricket at home beyond his practice hours. But what we have told him is to stay grounded. So many players play U-19 cricket and then they fade away.”

Yash will be joining the U19 camp in the NCA in Bangalore on Saturday, December 11. The BCCI has announced a 20-man squad for the tournament and a 25-member squad for preparations.

India U19 Asia Cup squad:

Harnoor Singh Pannu, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ansh Gosai, S K Rasheed, Yash Dhull (Captain), Anneshwar Gautam, Siddharth Yadav, Kaushal Tambe, Nishant Sindhu, Dinnesh Bana (wk), Aaradhya Yadav (wk), Rajangad Bawa, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Garv Sangwan, Ravi Kumar, Rishith Reddy, Manav Parakh, Amrit Raj Upadhyay, Vicky Ostwal, Vasu Vats (subject to fitness clearance)