Raj Angad Bawa Shares Curtly Ambrose's Advice After Maiden India A Call-Up

Raj Angad Bawa heard someone calling his name during the celebratory meal in Antigua following India’s victory in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup.

After that, though, the strong Caribbean accent made it difficult for him to understand what was being said until a member of the team staff informed him that Curtly Ambrose wanted to speak with him.

Ambrose, a thoughtful man, congratulated the boy and advised him, “Don’t lose your pace. You are quick. You can trouble the best in the business with the kind of steep bounce you generate from the good length. Don’t become a line-length bowler. Enjoy the evening.”

“At first, I didn’t understand what he was trying to say. VVS Laxman sir was there with me, and he later explained it to me,” Bawa told The Indian Express.

Bawa was named Player of the Match in the U-19 World Cup final against England after going 5 for 31 and scoring a significant 35. He received his first India A call-up seven months later for the three-match one-day series against New Zealand A, which would begin on September 22 in Chennai.

IPL experience always counts: Raj Angad Bawa

For Bawa, this year has been a real rollercoaster. At the Indian Premier League auction, Punjab Kings selected him for Rs 2 crore after he helped India win their fifth U-19 World Cup title.

Even though he only got to participate in two games, the opportunity to work with players like Mayank Agarwal, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Jonny Bairstow gave him more confidence.

“IPL experience always counts. You get to train with the best Indian and international cricketers. You see how Rabada goes through his bowling or how Livingstone and Bairstow work on their power-hitting. It was an enriching experience,” he said.

India A squad for NZ A series: Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Sanju Samson (captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Kuldeep Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Navdeep Saini, Raj Angad Bawa

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