Shaik Rasheed played an instrumental role in India’s triumphant 2022 Under-19 World Cup campaign.
While Rasheed smashed 94 off 198 balls in the semi-final against Australia, he scored a gritty 50 in a low-scoring final against England.
Speaking to TOI, the 17-year-old said the joy of winning the World Cup cannot be described in words.
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"Winning the World Cup U-19 title is memorable as it has made my parents proud. They have sacrificed a lot in their lives to see me in this position. I will never let them down," Rasheed said.
During the tournament, the Indian team was hit by COVID-19 and Shaik Rasheed was one of the five players to contract the virus after the first game. As a result, he missed out on India’s league matches against Ireland and Uganda.
"All five of us had to quarantine and it was a strange experience being locked up in our rooms with nothing to do. Thanks to Laxman sir, we could recover quickly. He used to make video calls to all of us to boost our spirits and confidence. He told us to focus on the tournament and not be bogged down by the virus," Rasheed said.
In the semi-final, which India won by 96 runs versus Australia, Rasheed added 204 for the third wicket with skipper Yash Dhull (110) and rescued the team from 37/2.
"I was a little shaky in my first match after recovering from Covid - quarterfinals against Bangladesh. I scored only 26. But in the semifinals against Australia, I wanted to play my natural game. I could've taken singles and completed my century. But that's not how I play my game. Whether it's Guntur, Andhra or India, my focus is to always win the game for my team," he said.
The Andhra Pradesh lad attributed his success to grade cricket.
"I performed well in the Challengers Trophy (India B won all four matches under his captaincy; he also scored 274 runs and won two MoM awards) and the Triangular series (155 runs in two matches). All those runs as well as the two-month stint in UK helped me stay focused. The UK trip taught me a lot of things. First, to be on my own. And then to play cricket in totally different conditions," Rasheed said.
(With TOI inputs)