Raj Bawa: India’s wrecker-in-chief vs England in U-19 World Cup final

India’s Raj Bawa claimed a five-for in the final of the U-19 cricket World Cup to restrict England to 189 runs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday. 

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Bawa’s brilliant 5/311 overshadowed a gritty 95 by James Rew. The Indian medium pacer along with Ravi Kumar (4/34) laid their opponents low with two early blows.

India need 190 runs to win their record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup. 

Also read: Role clarity, Kuldeep comeback, 2023 WC on Rohit’s mind as India take on West Indies

Who is Raj Bawa?

A fast bowling all-rounder, Raj Bawa comes from Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. The 19-year-old is the grandson of late Olympian Tarlochan Bawa, who was a part of the Indian hockey team that won a gold at the 1948 Olympics. 

His father, Sukhwinder Bawa, is a cricket coach who once trained the likes of India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and pacer VRV Singh.

Bawa idiolises India’s swashbuckling all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. He wears the jersey No 12, same as Singh. 

Also read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli 94 runs away from entering elite ODI record list

 “I am very happy. I want to contribute in both forms of the game. I have met Yuvraj Singh who is my idol and have taken autographs,” he said after India’s win against Uganda. 

Bawa and Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored centuries against Uganada, helping the team record their second-highest score in an Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup match. India won by 326 runs. The former played an unbeaten knock of 162 runs which came of 108 balls. It was the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in the U19 World Cup.

Also read: Force of a billion: Sachin, Kohli’s message to U19 Indian team ahead of final

Raj Bawa’s family shifted from Chandigarh to Gurugram so the player could join the DAV Public School, pursuing his cricketing career at the UTCA. He scored 154 runs, including a century, at the U-19 Challenger Trophy last year, and took eight wickets. He was then named in India’s U-19 squad for the Asia Cup. 

After an impressive show at the continental tournament, Bawa was named in the ICC U19 World Cup 2022. He has scored 217 runs in the five matches he has batted in so far.