Fresh off double ton in U-19 Asia Cup, Navi Mumbai lad Abhigyan Kundu eyes U-19 World Cup success

MUMBAI: He is yet to play a game for the Mumbai senior team, but 17-year-old Navi Mumbai boy Abhigyan Kundu has already made heads turn with his exploits for the India Under-19 team.

In May, Kundu was named vice-captain of India’s Under-19 team for the tour of England, with Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre being the captain of the side.



During the tour, the talented young keeper-bat scored a 34-ball 45 not out to help India beat England by six wickets in the first Youth ODI. He then stroked a 95-ball 90 in the first Youth Test against England at Beckenham and 65 off just 46 balls in the second Test at Chelmsford to help India wrest a fighting draw.

In September, Kundu helped India blank Australia 3-0 in the Youth ODI series at Brisbane, scoring 158 runs in two matches at an average of 158.00 and a strike rate of 114.49, with scores of 87 not out off 74 balls and 71 off 64 balls. His tally would have been more, but he was rested for the third and final match of the series.

In November, Kundu was named ‘Player of the Series’ after scoring two centuries in the Under-19 Challengers Trophy in Lucknow. Those who have seen Kundu bat have noticed shades of former India and Mumbai batting stalwart Vinod Kambli in his batting style. Like Kambli, who was a stylish left-hander and played 17 Tests and 104 ODIs for India, Kundu too is a southpaw.

During the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai recently, Kundu smashed a record-breaking double century (209 not out off 125 balls, including nine sixes and 17 fours) against Malaysia. The talented teenager thus became the first Indian and only the second player in the world to score a double century in Youth ODIs.

However, Kundu would have liked to do better in the other games in the tournament—he made scores of 32 not out, 22 and 13 in the final against Pakistan.

Beaming with pride after his son shot into the limelight with that double hundred, Abhigyan’s father Abhishek Kundu told TOI on Tuesday: “We were very happy. It was a great moment for all of us. We were awaiting such a performance from him for a long time. He has scored 125 centuries so far, which includes tons in the Harris Shield, Giles Shield, MCA and BCCI tournaments. He scored a double century in the Giles and Harris Shield and for the Mumbai Under-16 team against Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Merchant Trophy.”

The teenaged wicketkeeper-batter will be under the spotlight during the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup, which will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. After touring South Africa to play three one-day matches, India will launch their campaign in the Under-19 World Cup on January 15 against the USA at Harare.

“It’s the proudest moment of our family. We all are very happy that he’s playing for the country (at the India Under-19 level). It’s definitely a big moment for him because he has trained hard and now he’s getting a chance to represent his country at Under-19 level and fulfill his dream,” Abhishek said.

Kundu is preparing for the tournament by following a strict schedule provided to him by the BCCI, which he has to adhere to on and off the field.

Abhishek revealed that Abhigyan began his cricketing journey at an age of five, adding, “He used to play well downstairs. We got him enrolled for professional coaching under Chetan Jadhav, whose coaching centre is near our house in Vashi, when he was just five. Jadhav told us that he has potential and we needed to put in more effort for him. We got him some concessions from the school (St. Mary’s School in Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai) regarding his attendance, so that he could spend more time coaching under Jadhav.”

Abhigyan’s intense practice routine often involved facing as many as 5,000 balls a day.

With an eye on playing competitive cricket at the junior level, Abhigyan shifted to Anjuman Islam School, which has a traditionally strong cricket team.

“The reason we moved to Anjuman Islam was because that school actively participates in major inter-school tournaments in Mumbai. Both his schools played a supportive role in his cricketing journey,” Abhishek said.

“We don't have a cricketing background. I am an engineer and work for TCS, so it was a slightly tough decision for us to allow him to pursue a professional sporting career. However, as he picked up the game and started to show dedication and commitment, practising without fail every day, we were confident that Abhigyan could make a career in cricket,” Abhishek said.

Growing up, Abhigyan, inspired by his childhood coach Chetan Jadhav, who too was a wicketkeeper, took a liking for the wicketkeeping gloves. Like many young Indian cricketers, he drew inspiration from the legends of the game. “He has watched a lot of MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. He met Tendulkar briefly during a coaching session in Navi Mumbai," concluded father Abhishek.


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