Manjot Kalra achieved what many cricketers could only dream of. Kalra scored a century in the finals of the U19 World Cup in New Zealand, against Australia and helped his team lift the trophy, for the fourth time.

Manjot recalled the moment and said, “It feels good. It is a great moment for me, scoring a hundred in the final. It was a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

He also said “Money is not a distraction. We had to keep these things aside. We had to maintain our focus on winning the tournament. If I do well, I know the rest will follow.”

Talking about money, the IPL 2018 auctions were on during the U19 World Cup and Manjot Kalra reveals that coach Rahul Dravid forbade them from watching the auctions.

“Rahul Dravid sir told us to not watch the IPL auction because it could act as a distraction for people who don’t get selected. During the auction, we were in a team meeting. I got to know (about being bought by Delhi Daredevils) through my family members,” revealed Kalra.

Talking about things he learnt from Dravid, Kalra said, “He said it’s all about the opportunities you get in future. He told us to think of this (U-19 World Cup) as the first step and not the benchmark. It’s because of him we won the World Cup. He was supportive throughout the tournament.”

Kalra also said that he was excited about sharing the dressing room with Gambhir and Ricky Ponting in IPL 2018, for Delhi Daredevils.

He said, “I’m pretty excited. I’ll get the opportunity the face the likes of Kagiso Rabada (in the nets). If I get a chance to play, I’ll be ready to prove myself.”

Manjot finally said about his journey to the U19 World Cup, “Bahut mehnat lagi hai sir. At one stage, it was very difficult. Then these allegations (of age-fudging). But I performed well in the Challenger Trophy. Luckily, I got selected for the World Cup. I took my preparations seriously and the result is for everyone to see.”