Dad's 'sacrifice' pays off for new U-19 skipper

Yash Dhull is India's new U-19 skipper and will lead the team in the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. The Delhi boy made his family proud and gave a reason to cherish and celebrate after getting appointed as the U-19 captain. He is the most recent Delhi cricketer to captain the U-19 squad after the present cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.

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His father Vijay Dhull is an executive with a cosmetic brand and he quit his job solely to focus on his son's bright future ahead. He said, "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 Yash enough time so he would stay focused and not stray. My career was secondary. So, I quit my regular job".

His family was running through his grandpa's pension all these days. His father also added, add: "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. 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."

Yash shared a bit on his journey:

The aggressive middle-order batter has always wanted to become a cricketer and his family always supported him. He said, "Just start hi kar raha hoon (I am just starting out). If I keep playing sincerely, I will reach some good level." Speaking of a role model. he said, "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."

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Yash's mother was the first person to understand his interest in cricket. Late, the parents and grandfather decided that Yash might follow into becoming a cricketer. Yash played for Delhi in U-14s at the age of 12, then also led the U-16 Delhi team. One of his most memorable knocks is an unbeaten 185 against Punjab. His runs helped Delhi to win and also helped Yash to build confidence for the higher level of cricket.

His father spoke about his practice procedures:

Vijay decided to set up nets on their terrace so that Yash could practice during the pandemic. Vijay said, "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."

On his preparation for the upcoming U-19 match, Vijay shared, "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."