Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan had been searching for answers after the Sri Lanka tour. Runs had dried up in youth ODIs, even as India kept winning.
With India u-19 precariously placed at 88 for four, he scored 54 off 34 balls before returning to take two wickets and guide the host past Australia u-19. In the u-13 A.W. Kanmadikar Trophy, Yashbardhan had scored 425, 235 and 391. By 15, he was playing senior division cricket after Chambal Division secretary Tasleem Khan handed him opportunities.
After the assignment, he turned to coach Yere Goud and asked: “Why is this happening to me? “It helped me understand how things work at the senior level. His father had wanted to play at the highest level but could not.
Goud told him that failure was part of the game and advised the youngster to ignore the noise and keep believing. “I only thought about what I could do at that particular time to support the team,” Yashbardhan told The Hindu , adding: “I simply wanted to spend some time at the crease and support the team from one end. “Coming from Chambal and playing senior cricket gave me an exposure,” he said. “One of the biggest reasons I play cricket is to fulfil my father’s dream,” Yashbardhan said.
On Friday, Yashbardhan showed what he had learnt.