NEW DELHI: India Under-19 captain Lakshya Raichandani has credited Aaryavir Sehwag’s attacking batting for making life easier for his teammates, saying the opener’s ability to put opposition bowlers under pressure takes the burden off the batter at the other end.Aaryavir was one of the standout performers in India’s Under-19 Asia Cup title-winning campaign, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 361 runs in five innings. His consistent performances also earned him the player-of-the-tournament award.Praising the opener’s contribution, Raichandani described him as both a fine batter and a wonderful human being, while explaining how his approach changes the dynamics of an innings.“Yeah, he’s a really good batter (Aaryavir) and a wonderful human being. When he bats, it takes some pressure off the batter at the other end because of the way he plays. It also makes batting easier on the track, as he puts the opposition bowlers under pressure and forces them to release that pressure by offering loose deliveries to the other batter,” Raichandani said.
‘We never stopped believing’: India bounce back against Pakistan
India’s triumph was particularly special as they overcame a group-stage defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan before beating them by one wicket in a nail-biting final in Al Amerat, Oman, on Saturday.Reflecting on his experience of leading the side to the title, Raichandani said the team developed a strong understanding throughout the campaign.“It was a pretty good experience. We had a really good rapport with each other, and it was a great experience overall. I’m proud of the guys and really privileged to be leading this team,” he said.The captain also explained the team’s straightforward batting approach, stressing the importance of making the most of the powerplay and having at least one set batter stay until the end.“My approach was simple. If one batter gets set at one end and takes the innings deep, it makes the chase much easier. Our approach was straightforward, and getting a good start in the powerplay was important.“Hopefully, we managed to provide that start, and the plan after that was for one of the set batters to stay till the end,” the skipper said.Raichandani admitted the group-stage loss to Pakistan provided important lessons, but insisted that the team’s belief in its approach never wavered.“In the first match, our plan was quite simple. After losing, we realised the areas where we could improve and where we could have done better. That was one important takeaway. Overall, though, our plan remained the same, and we believed in our approach,” he said.“We never stopped believing. We were quite optimistic, and we continued to believe in the team till the very end.”
