(Cricket News) Arshin Kulkarni, prior to the initiation of the U-19 World Cup, the SA20 franchise Pretoria Capitals shared a heartfelt video featuring Kulkarni seeking permission from his childhood hero Jacques Kallis before touching his feet. In the video, Kulkarni recounts a story about receiving a six-foot poster of the South African great on his eighth birthday and explains why he looks up to him.

Arshin, an opening batsman and seam bowler, has generated significant excitement in Indian cricket. His proficiency in hitting sixes during the inaugural Maharashtra Premier League caught everyone’s attention, leading to his selection by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for Rs 20 lakh in the IPL auction. Although he played in only three games, he managed to hit six more sixes (19) than any other batter in a tournament that featured players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Kedar Jadhav, and Rahul Tripathi.

The all-rounder represented Maharashtra, showcasing an impressive performance. He scored at a rate of 163.51 and picked up four wickets in six matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. Carrying his all-round form to the U-19 Asia Cup, he was yet to make a mark in the World Cup. After two initial failures, Arshin redeemed himself by scoring 108 against the USA, demonstrating the real potential behind the hype.

Kulkarni’s innings started off scrappily, but after surviving a dropped catch on 17, he displayed intent by hitting three delightful sixes against the seamers. The dashing opener hit eight boundaries and three sixes in his innings. Kulkarni, expressing his joy, mentioned, “It was a special moment for me, my parents were there in the stands. A really big moment to score a hundred in front of them.”

The 155-run partnership for the second wicket with Musheer Khan (73), combined with cameos from skipper Uday Saharan (35), Priyanshu Moliya (27 not out), and Sachin Dhas (20), propelled India to a commanding total of 326 for 5.

On the bowling front, Naman Tiwari, who struggled in the first match, found his wicket-taking ability and left the USA reeling at 55 for 4. The top order of the USA looked helpless against Tiwari, who ended up with impressive figures of 4/10. Utkarsh Srivastava (40) top-scored for USA, but in response to India’s mammoth total, they could only muster 125 for 8. Tiwari’s brilliant performance was complemented by Saumy Pandey’s economical bowling and contributions from Raj Limbani, Murugan Abhishek, and Priyanshu Moliya, who all chipped in with a wicket each.

Brief Scores:

India U-19: 326 for 5 in 50 overs (Arshin Kulkarni 108, Musheer Khan 73; Ateendra Subramanian 2/45)

USA U-19: 125 for 8 in 50 overs (Utkarsh Srivastava 40, Naman Tiwari 4/20)

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