Tamil Nadu's Cooch Behar heroes Pranav and Ambrish excited to take England flight
On Thursday, two key members of that title-winning squad, all-rounder R.S. Ambrish and pacer Pranav Raghavendra, earned their maiden India under-19 call-up for the tour of England next month.
For Ambrish, it has been a roller-coaster year, considering he missed the group stage matches after suffering a collarbone fracture during a warm-up tournament. Once he returned for the knockouts, he delivered by scoring 81 and 85 in the semifinals and final against Maharashtra and Gujarat, respectively. He finished with a tally of 262 runs in four games.
'It is a special feeling for me and my family. I was happy I could make an impact for TN in the knockouts, and winning the title has now given us a chance. I want to build on it and am excited for my first tour abroad,' said the 17-year-old all-rounder who was also part of the specialist fast bowler camp at the NCA recently.
Meanwhile, for Pranav, it is another step in the right direction after he made his Ranji Trophy debut last season and played two matches.
'In the last one year, I have trusted my process and this is a reward for that,' said Pranav who scalped 11 wickets in four games in Cooch Behar.
The 17-year-old credited the role of the MRF Pace foundation, where he worked with Glenn McGrath and former TN coach L. Balaji, for helping him feel welcomed in the senior team. 'My target is to do well on this tour and get picked for the Under-19 World Cup next year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
I don't mind starting from scratch again, says Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw CHENNAI: Prithvi Shaw was Shubman Gill's captain in the U-19 World Cup that India won in New Zealand in 2018. Seven years down the line, Gill is on the cusp of the Indian senior team's all-format captaincy while Shaw, once touted as a 'boy wonder' and the 'next big thing', is trying to make a comeback into the first-class fold after losing his way. Question marks over fitness, form and discipline took a huge toll on the opener as he got dropped from the Mumbai Ranji squad last year and went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Now he is back in the domestic scene where it all began, this time turning out for Maharashtra instead of Mumbai. Shaw, who had scored a ton on his India Test debut, announced his comeback in familiar fashion with a well-paced century (111, 141b; 15x4, 1x6) against Chhattisgarh on Day Two of the Buchi Babu tournament here on Tuesday. The 25-year-old sounded optimistic about the upcoming domestic season and said he was 'confident' of making a comeback. 'I don't mind starting from scratch again because I've seen many ups and downs in my life. I've been up there and been down there. I've also come back up there. So, everything is possible. I'm confident of myself, my work ethic. And my family has been the biggest support in my tough times. Hopefully, I'll get back there soon. I hope that this season goes really well for me as well as for my team,' said Shaw. During his knock, as he entered the nervous nineties, the right-hander danced down the track to launch a stunning six. Shaw said he was going back to basics and taking each day as it comes. 'I don't want to change anything (from the past few years). It wasn't anything like that. I feel I just went back to basics, doing the things I used to do in my Under-19 days, which got me into the Indian team. I'm just doing all that stuff back again. I'm trying to be myself and trying not to be on social media or any of those kinds of distractions. It's kind of peaceful when I'm not using it.' Shaw has started to get his belief back. 'I feel I have never lost. It's always about learning. Earlier, I was trying to think about the future and I don't think it worked for me. So now what I'm trying to do is go day by day. I try to be in the present; I'm that kind of person right now.' When asked if he received any messages or calls from the cricket fraternity during his 'tough times', pat came the reply with a smile: 'No one.' 'It's fine...I don't want anyone's sympathy. I've seen this before as well. I've had my family's support and my friends who were there with me when I was not really well mentally. Obviously, people are busy doing their work and they have their family as well. So it didn't bother me at all because I had my family and then I was practising. I was in that zone where I was doing everything alone and it was really good for me. It was working for me.' Having steered Maharashtra to 217, Shaw could well have stayed back in the Guru Nanak pavilion, but after a quick massage, he chose to field for the last five overs. He said he has also been focusing on his fitness in the build-up to the season. 'These two-three months, I had my trainer come personally and train me, and I've got a dietician as well who plans all my meals. All this over the last three-four months has really changed me physically and mentally. And maybe it can be seen on the field,' said Shaw, who was running briskly between the wickets earlier in the day. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Don't want anyone's sympathy': Prithvi Shaw slams hundred in Buchi Babu tournament
Prithvi Shaw, who has moved to Maharashtra ahead of the new domestic season, believes he can regain the lost ground. The 25-year-old, who scored a century on his Test debut in 2018, has seen his career nose-dive because of disciplinary and fitness issues and was dropped by his home state unit Mumbai. Having shifted to Maharashtra, he began the season on a resounding note scoring 111 against Chhattisgarh in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament here on Tuesday. Beginning their first innings after Chhattisgarh made 252, Shaw was the standout performer for Maharashtra which folded for 217. Since being dropped from the Indian team, Shaw has lost ground in the national scheme of things. Apart from finding no takers in the Indian Premier League, Shaw even failed to make the West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy. No longer part of the targeted pool list, Shaw is now in a place where he has to start from scratch. 'I don't mind coming from scratch again because I've seen many ups and downs in my life. And I've been up there, I've been down there, I've come back up. So, everything is possible, I feel. I'm kind of a very confident guy, confident in myself, my work ethics. I feel, I hope that this season will go really well for me as well as for my team,' Shaw said at the end of day's play. While much has been said about his fitness issues and off-field issues, his batting has very much looked the part. It was evident on Tuesday as well as he scored a major chunk of his runs in boundaries. Shaw said his focus is now to get back to the aspects that got him selected to the Indian team after an impressive run in the age-group levels. 'I don't want to change anything. I just went back to basics, doing things that I used to do in Under-19 days, which got me to the Indian team, just doing all the stuff back again, you know, practicing more, gym, running. It's small things, obviously, it's not that big because I've been doing these things since the age of 12 and 13,' he said. Apart from working on his fitness aspect with his trainer in the last three months, Shaw said he has also taken a cautious decision to not engage himself on social media platforms as they have tended to distract him in the past. 'Just trying to be myself and not really trying to be on social media or anything and those kinds of distractions. Nowadays social media, it's quite bad. It's kind of peaceful when I'm not using it. It's always about learning for me. And like I said before, I'm confident enough in myself and what I am,' he said. Shaw's off-field issues have come under constant scrutiny with many former players openly voicing their disappointment. When asked if any of the players, past or present, reached out to him during the tough moments Shaw responded with a curt 'no'. 'I mean, it's fine. I mean, I don't want anyone's sympathy. It's okay. I've seen this before as well. I've got my family's support. And my friends who were there with me when I was not really well mentally as well. So, it's okay. People are busy doing their work. And they have their family as well. So, it didn't bother me at all. And I was in that zone where I'm doing everything alone. And it was really good for me,' he added. Having found a new home in Maharashtra, Shaw did reveal that looking too far ahead has cost him at times and it is one aspect he would prefer to change as he attempts a long way back. 'I was trying to think [bahut aage ka] too far ahead. So, I don't think it worked for me. So what I'm trying to do is going day by day. I have my schedule plan and I go by that. I try to be in the present. I'm just trying to be healthy and trying to improve my game in every aspect. Obviously, no one is perfect in everything. So I've just been trying to train hard on the field, trying to give my 100% even in practice sessions. Those kinds of mindsets I'm having right now,' Shaw said.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
J&K will be the first side to win all three formats: Yagnik
The Jammu and Kashmir cricket team had a fairytale red-ball season in 2024-25, rising from the fringes to the centrestage. It reached the Ranji Trophy knockout phase, toppling 42-time champion Mumbai and humbling Baroda — both on their home soil. Though J&K's dream campaign ended by the narrowest of margins — a one-run defeat to Kerala in the semifinals — there was a sense of pride and belief in the ranks. Fielding coach Dishant Yagnik, one of the architects of the turnaround, believes that the best is yet to come for J&K. He is confident that the team will make history in all three formats in the domestic circuit. Fuelled by SPB In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, Yagnik, who is guiding the side in the Buchi Babu tournament here, felt that J&K's stunning climb was fuelled by structure, process and belief. 'The talent was always there but to nurture it, we lacked proper infrastructure and training facilities. The Manhas touch 'The real transformation began when Mithun Manhas took over in the 2021-22 season. He ensured that all necessary elements of a professional cricket set-up were in place. 'Credit also goes to Brigadier Anil Gupta and Sethi sir. Together with Mithun, the three of them created a roadmap and culture for J&K, and wanted it to be among the top three teams in the country. 'Call it a vision, a dream, or a claim... I truly believe that J&K will be the first side in Indian domestic cricket to win all three formats. When an outfit wants to win that badly, victory is not too far away. 'People only see the results, but rarely those working behind the scenes. Mithun knows how to run the administration and get the best out of the players. Domestic legend 'Head coach Ajay sir is a domestic legend with decades of experience and his insights are invaluable. 'What's wonderful is that our coaching doesn't end at 5 p.m. but continues through discussions and debates well into the night... it's organic and collaborative. Our philosophy is clear: if we continue to improve internally, the external results will follow. 'We're focused and hungry, and shouldn't be taken lightly,' signed off Yagnik, who is also Rajasthan Royals' fielding coach in the IPL.
