If Sachin fires, India don’t really have any reason to fear.
Sachin Tendulkar, the maestro, had instilled such a belief in millions of fans, leading India’s batting line-up for two decades. Will Sachin Dhas, his namesake, be able to emulate the Master Blaster?
No matter what the future holds, this 19-year-old Sachin of Beed, Maharashtra — who has been named after the icon — has been one of the standout performers in the Indian team in their march to the U-19 World Cup final in South Africa.
Sachin isn’t India’s top run-getter in this colts’ World Cup. He’s third on the list with 294 runs, after captain Uday Saharan (389) and Musheer Khan (338). But with an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 116.66, Sachin is ahead of both the players, underlining the greater impact he has had with the bat.
Both of his scintillating knocks — 95-ball 96 in Tuesday’s semi-final against South Africa in Benoni and the 101-ball 116 against Nepal in the Super Six game in Bloemfontein — came at a time India were under the cosh.
“His temperament is one aspect that stands out. Irrespective of the situation, he remains unfazed, which we all saw yesterday (Tuesday). I’ve seen him since his U-14 days and I’ve noticed he has a very good conversion rate. If he crosses 50, he makes it a big one in most cases,” Maharashtra assistant coach Avinash Aware told The Telegraph on Wednesday.
Consistency in the (U-19) Vinoo Mankad Trophy for the last three seasons, for India B in the U-19 quadrangular series and the U-19 Asia Cup in 2023 was instrumental in confirming Sachin’s place in the U-19 Cup squad. Now, success in the World Cup may well earn him a Maharashtra senior team debut this season.
“He has been in our scheme of things lately. You may see him making his debut in this Ranji Trophy in our final game (against Services from February 16),” Aware said. “If it doesn’t happen this time, next season his debut at the senior level seems certain.”
Growing up playing mostly on matting wickets in Beed, Sachin has had the continuous support of his father Sanjay in developing his game in the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s invitational leagues in Pune. Sport runs a bit in his family too, as mother Surekha, an assistant police inspector in Maharashtra Police, has been a state-level kabaddi player.
