An utterly dominant India beat England by four wickets to register a record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title win.
The triumph thrust many young talents on the world stage, most notably Andhra native, Shaik Rasheed. The 17-year-old was the vice-captain of the title-winning side and caught everyone’s eye with his composed batting efforts.
BCCI
Rasheed scored a valuable 94 in the semifinal against Australia and followed it with another half-century in the all-important final against England.
While he played a big role in team India’s title victory, it has been quite a journey for Rasheed to this stage. And it hasn’t been easy. He has fought odds to realise his cricketing dream, which wouldn’t have found its meaningful conclusion had it not been for his family’s sacrifices.
The academy where Rasheed trained was 50 kilometres from his home in Guntur. But his father, Shaik Balisha, used to ferry him the entire distance on his scooter. Every single day. He used to make sure his son didn’t miss a session.
Rasheed’s father even lost his jobs, could hardly sustain at times, moved cities, but kept his son’s dream well and truly alive.
His talents were there for everyone to see at an early age, but his family’s precarious financial situation meant Rasheed couldn’t afford to support his training and academics, besides paying rent.
Balisha had no clue what to do next. His son had potential, but it was about honing that and giving him a platform. The fees of local academies were too expensive to enrol him. But he wanted to find a solution at all costs. In 2012, he started taking Rasheed to a cricket ground six kilometres from his home and started giving him throw-downs. A few months later, he came to know about Andhra Cricket Association’s residential cricket academy and took Rasheed for a trial.
The stars then began to align. Rasheed left academy coach J Krishna Rao impressed by his technique and composure.
Rasheed capitalised on the opportunity and made it count. He went on to represent the Andhra U-14 team. Then in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in the 2018-19 season, he amassed 674 runs at 168.50, including three centuries to give a glimpse of his enormous potential. The purple patch didn’t end there. In the Vinoo Mankad Trophy (2020-21), he emerged the second-highest run-getter, mustering 376 runs in six matches.
He was picked
for the U-19 Asia Cup in December last year and continued to impress.
The U-19 Cricket World Cup, however, was the real reckoning and coming of age for Shaik Rasheed. His tireless efforts and his father’s sacrifices were given a meaning – as he became a cornerstone in the title triumph. This was always meant to happen – Rasheed was destined to make his mark, and what better stage than U-19 Cricket World Cup, where the modern Indian greats have all started their journeys.
Now, it’s time to take the new step in development. Keep an eye on this one, folks!
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