“His love for the game and desire to win inspires me” - Uday Saharan on his favorite cricketer

India’s U-19 World Cup 2024 captain Uday Saharan has named star Men in Blue batter Virat Kohli as his favorite cricketer. He stated that he is inspired by the former India skipper’s passion for the game and desire to win.

The Saharan-led India side will take on Australia in the U-19 World Cup 2024 final at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday, February 11. The Men in Blue have been unbeaten in the competition and will be looking to win the ICC event for the sixth time.

Speaking ahead of the mega final, Saharan opened up about his favorite cricketer in an interaction with PTI-Bhasha.

"Virat Kohli is my favorite because his passion and aggression is amazing. His love for the game, enthusiasm and desire to win inspires me. I have never met him but we have talked on the team video call. I want to meet him very soon," the 19-year-old said.

Amazingly, India and Australia will be meeting in an ICC event final for the third time in less than a year. The Aussies got the better of India in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup final. However, revenge is not among the emotions in Saharan’s mind.

"I am not thinking anything like that. We are focusing on our game and we have to give our best. We are playing according to the match conditions. Every match is important because it is the World Cup and all the teams are good," the batter asserted.

The Indian captain also added that he won’t take any pressure about the fact that the U-19 World Cup has produced a lot of big players for India over the years.

"I never think about it. I don't think about the past. I just think about how I can give my best for the team and how to get the best out of the team," he commented.

Incidentally, Saharan is the leading run-getter in the U-19 World Cup 2024 heading into the final. He has contributed 389 runs in six innings at an average of 64.83.

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Uday Saharan played a captain’s knock in the U-19 World Cup 2024 semifinal

Saharan played a defining knock of 81 from 124 balls in the first semifinal of the U-19 World Cup 2024 against South Africa at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Tuesday, February 6. India beat the Proteas by two wickets to book their place in the final.

Batting first, South Africa posted 244/7 on the board. In response, the Men in Blue crumbled to 32/4. However, Saharan and Sachin Dhas (96 off 95) added 171 for the fifth wicket to lift India. The Men in Blue eventually got home in 48.5 overs.