ICC U19 Cricket World Cup: Best Playing XI of the tournament

The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 concluded on Saturday (February 5) with India lifting a record fifth title. Led by Yash Dhull, India beat England by 4 wickets in the final, successfully chasing down 190 in the 48th over.

India and England were the two unbeaten teams heading into the summit clash. While India reached the final on the back of a resounding win over Australia, England clinched a thriller against Afghanistan in their semifinal clash.

As has been the norm, the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022 threw a number of budding stars into the spotlight. Multiple players across different teams left their mark on the tournament and have taken their first step towards making it big on the international stage.

On that note, we compile the best XI of the tournament featuring names who we could hear a lot of in the years to come:

Openers - Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Hasibullah Khan (wk)

Angkrish Raghuvanshi (L) was India's leading run-getter in the tournament (Picture Credits: Twitter/BCCI via The Indian Express).

Opening the batting is the left-right duo of Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Haseebullah Khan. Raghuvanshi was India's leading run-getter in the ICC tournament, accumulating 278 runs at an average of 46.33. He also had a century and a half-century to his name.

Pakistan's Haseebullah Khan was the tournament's second-highest run-getter, having piled up 380 runs at a staggering average of 76. Haseebullah struck two centuries and a fifty, lifting Pakistan to a fifth-place finish and will also don the wicket-keeping gloves in this lineup.

Middle-order - Teague Wyllie, Tom Prest (vc) and Yash Dhull (c)

Australia's Teague Wyllie takes the number 3 spot, having compiled 278 runs at an average of 69. With two half-centuries and a century, Wyllie was the lynchpin of the Australian batting lineup.

England captain Tom Prest walks in at number 4 with his Indian counterpart Yash Dhull at 5. Prest's 292 runs came at a mind-boggling strike-rate of 102.46 while he also picked up 5 wickets with his economical off-spin bowling.

Dhull missed two games having contracted COVID-19 but averaged 76.33 for his 229 runs. Dhull's best knock of 110 came at a critical juncture in the ICC U19 semifinal against Australia and is the captain of this XI, with Prest serving as his deputy.

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All-rounders - Dewald Brevis and Dunith Wellalage

A record-breaking tally of 506 runs including 3 fifties and 2 hundreds in six innings - of course, Dewald Brevis walks into this XI. Dubbed 'Baby AB' owing to his batting style having an uncanny resemblance with AB de Villiers, Brevis also contributed 7 wickets with his leg-spin for South Africa.

Sri Lankan skipper Dunith Wellalage takes the role of the side's lead all-rounder. Wellalage topped the wicket charts with 17 scalps at 13.58 each while accumulating 264 runs with a century and a fifty.

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Bowlers - Vicky Ostwal, Joshua Boyden, Ripon Mondol and Ravi Kumar

With Wellalage, Prest and Brevis in the side, the bowling lineup is well rounded with a number of options. India's Vicky Ostwal takes the lead spinner's role, having picked up 12 wickets with his accurate left-arm spin.

Left-armers Joshua Boyden and Ravi Kumar, and right-armer Ripon Mondol complete the pace attack. While Boyden scalped 15 wickets in England's run into the final, Bangladesh's Mondol accounted for 14 wickets at an average of 15.00.

Ravi Kumar might come across as a surprising inclusion given there were others with more scalps in the tournament. However, with 9 of his 10 wickets coming in the knockout stages, Kumar turned up clutch in India's surge to the title.

Honorable mentions for the ICC U19 playing XI

Raj Angad Bawa (India) - 252 runs and 9 wickets; Player of the Match in the final

Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) - 10 wickets at 18.90 each with his left-arm wrist-spin

Rehan Ahmed (England) - 12 wickets from 4 games at 12.58 each

Awais Ali (Pakistan) - 15 wickets at 15.80 each

Qasim Akram (Pakistan) - 203 runs at 50.50 and 10 wickets at 17.00 each

Best playing XI of ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022

Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Teague Wyllie, Tom Prest (vc), Yash Dhull (c), Dewald Brevis, Dunith Wellalage, Vicky Ostwal, Joshua Boyden, Ripon Mondol, Ravi Kumar