Raj Angad Bawa has not seen his grandfather, Tarlochan Singh Bawa, in motion with a hockey stick. The legend had performed a key function in serving to India clinch the gold medal within the 1948 London Olympics.
And rising up, these tales impressed Raj to put on the India jersey, albeit in cricket.
On Friday, the Board of Management for Cricket in India named the batting all-rounder within the India U-19 squad for the Asia Cup, alongside along with his good friend Harnoor Singh Pannu – one other gifted batter from Chandigarh.
A lanky medium-fast bowler and an attacking left-handed batter, Raj fell in love with the game fairly early as he would journey along with his father Sukhwinder Singh Bawa, the coach of Yuvraj Singh. “My dad would coach varied state groups, and I might journey with him and spend time with the cricketers. I slowly acquired hooked to the sport and finally took it up critically,” Raj Angad informed Sportstar.
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A number of years in the past, the household shifted from Gurugram to Chandigarh, and Raj joined the coveted DAV Public Faculty and was quickly taking part in frequently for age-group groups. “When Chandigarh acquired the BCCI affiliation a few years in the past, I shifted from PCA to UTCA and have represented the staff ever since.”
He is aware of there will likely be expectations, however he doesn’t let that have an effect on his recreation. “I used to be very younger when his grandfather handed away in 2008. However sure, it’s a nice honour to hold the legacy ahead. Since my father has been a coach, I’ve realized so much from him. That has definitely helped me in my profession,” Raj, who’s now a pupil of GGSD School, Chandigarh, stated.
Whereas he has solely met Yuvraj a few occasions, he idolises the previous India cricketer. Within the U-19 Challenger Trophy, he scored 154 runs – together with a century – and grabbed eight wickets. “I’m not considering an excessive amount of about subsequent yr’s U-19 World Cup. In the intervening time, the main focus is to play nicely within the Asia Cup,” the teen stated.
Harnoor – the pacer turned-batter
It’s an analogous story for Harnoor. His grandfather Rajinder Singh was concerned with the sport in Punjab, whereas his father Birinder Singh represented the state on the U-19 degree.
Harnoor was the very best scorer within the Challenger Trophy, with 412 runs in his kitty. He additionally featured within the not too long ago concluded U-19 Tri-series in Kolkata.
Harnoor Singh after scoring a ton. – SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Initially, I used to be not eager on cricket, however then my grandfather launched me to the sport, and I slowly developed a keenness. That’s the way it began,” the 18-year-old Harnoor stated.
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He began as a quick bowler, however steering from his grandfather helped him deal with batting. “My grandfather informed me that it will be important for a cricketer to deal with batting as nicely, and that’s how I developed an curiosity,” he stated.
His elder brother, who’s presently in Canada, too, had performed U-19 cricket as a batter, and his ideas had additionally helped Harnoor.
Harnoor, a fan of Shubman Gill, scored three consecutive centuries within the Challengers Trophy, which sealed his berth within the Asia Cup. “I labored on my mindset. I knew that I’m amongst runs, so the one factor was to make sure that I keep targeted and take issues as they arrive,” he stated.
Each the chums will depart for Bengaluru on Saturday, chasing their desires.