You do not even have to listen carefully to pick up the resounding echoes. Within hours of Yash Dhull making a century on first-class debut for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy against Tamil Nadu in Guwahati, many are making a beeline to declare him the next big thing in Indian cricket. It is perhaps a sign of the present times.
The captain of the Indian team which won the ICC U19 World Cup 2022 earlier this month has guaranteed himself a continued place in conversations in Indian cricket. Unhesitatingly accepting the challenge of opening the innings, he was all class and composure as he raced to 113, including 84 before lunch, untouched by the pressure being exerted by Tamil Nadu.
Yash Dhull scored 113 on First-Class debut. Image: @BCCI
Yash Dhull was not rattled when he lost Dhruv Shorey and Himmat Singh’s company to successive deliveries by Sandeep Warrier nor when Nitish Rana fell after a 60-run stand. Together with the left-handed Jonty Sidhu, he shared a 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Two wonderful qualities that stood out during the innings: Timing and Temperament. These traits will make those who matter in Indian cricket pencil him down as having the potential to play a higher grade of cricket just as another West Delhi lad answering to the name of Virat Kohli did after leading India U19 to the World Cup title in 2008.
It was good to see that while Yash Dhull could combine a wristy touch with powerful pulls, he did not give defensive play the short shrift. Critically, he understood that the Tamil Nadu bowlers were not bowling lengths for him to play the drive in front of the wicket. He waited for their errors in length to find the gaps square of the track.
He played strokes on either side of the pitch with an assurance that belied his 19 years and any nerves that he may have felt on making his Ranji Trophy debut. A rasping square drive off Warrier in the opening over, a delicate flick when M Mohammed drifted the cricket ball into his pads and pulls to mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Sai Kishore all bore stamps of class.
There was delightful comfort with which the youngster made the willow appear like a surgeon’s knife will please the connoisseurs of the game. It is the hallmark of someone who is able to assess each delivery, make apt decisions without losing time and execute them to the optimum.
It is not as if he played the spotless innings. There were some streaky edges that sent the ball racing to the ropes. And his heart would have been in his mouth while he waited to be told that he was caught at short mid-wicket off a no-ball when he was on 97. He allowed himself a smile, let go of whatever pressure was welling up in his mind and got to the milestone.
Of course, one Swallow never made a Summer. But in the span of a few weeks, Yash Dhull has shown the mettle he is made of. The counter-attacking century after Australia made early inroads into the Indian batting in the ICC U19 World Cup semi-final in Coolidge and the hundred on Ranji debut on Thursday are indicative of a mature head on young shoulders.
How wonderful it would be for us to peer through some magical lens into the future and see if Yash Dhull remains a good student of the game in time to come rather than be a journeyman cricketer, drowned by the limelight. Without the benefit of that device, we can only look for clues that can indicate the potential.
Make no mistake, Yash Dhull will have to embrace consistency and deal with the pressure of expectation that will now grow. He can do that by remaining grounded and not letting his mind be cluttered by too many thoughts, especially when bowlers around the country decipher his batsmanship a bit and challenge him a bit more.
It will be interesting to see how he deals with the surge of attention coming his way. In this day and age when instant gratification is pursued just as the tolerant wait for greater rewards are becoming rare, Yash Dhull’s ability to remain focussed on and respect the basics of his craft will be the sails that can harness the wind and power his career ahead.
The other area that will engage those who track his career will have to do with comparisons with other U19 captains who led India to the World Cup conquests. He will be aware that he cannot control that, but how well he controls his response to comparisons, good or otherwise, could determine his journey. He must seek and find comfort in being himself.
Is he another of those fearless youngsters who have seen, not just imagined, their own destiny? It would be hard to answer that one way or the other. However, what is obvious is that he is grabbing the opportunities with both hands and making them count. Yes, at the moment, Yash Dhull is riding the crest of popularity. Deservedly so.
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