I pray they return victorious: Harbhajan delighted over inclusion of three Punjab players in U19 squad for England tour

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh extended his best wishes to youth-level cricketers from Punjab - Vihaan Malhotra, Rahul Kumar, and Anmoljeet Singh- for being named in the squad for India U19's upcoming tour of England. 

The trio was named in the Ayush Mhatre-led side for the tour, which comprises a 50-over warm-up match, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day Series and two Multi-Day matches against England U19 from June 24 to July 23.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Harbhajan expressed his delight over the inclusion of three Punjab players in the U19 squad and praised the Punjab Cricket Association for consistently working in the best interests of Indian cricket.

"It is a very joyous day as three players from Punjab have been included in the U19 team. Vihaan, Rahul, and Anmolpreet are very talented players. I pray that they return victorious, and heartfelt congratulations to their families and coaches," Harbhajan, who is the Chief Cricketing Advisor of the Punjab Cricket Association, told IANS.

Vihaan, a left-handed opening batter, was the vice-captain of India's U-19 team for the four-day matches against Australia last year. He was the highest run-scorer in the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2022/23 edition, scoring 87 runs in two innings.

Anmoljeet Singh, who idolises Harbhajan, was also a part of the four-day matches against Australia last year, where he took a stunning nine-wicket match haul (4-72 and 5-32) to steer India to a thumping innings and 120-run victory with a day to spare in the second Youth Test. He was also the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2022/23 edition with 11 scalps in two innings.

"The Punjab Cricket Association has always worked in the interest of India and the BCCI and will continue to do so. The youth of Punjab are making significant contributions to Indian cricket, and many strong contenders are coming from Punjab for the Indian team; full credit for this goes to the PCA, and I feel proud to be a part of the PCA," he added.

On Tuesday, the BCCI announced the schedule for the IPL 2025 Playoffs with the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh gearing up to host the much-awaited Qualifier 1 - featuring the top two-ranked sides on May 29, followed by an Eliminator clash on May 30.

Harbhajan also expressed his gratitude to the BCCI for giving Punjab two IPL playoff matches. "I would also like to thank the BCCI for giving Punjab the opportunity to host two IPL playoff matches. It's really great news for the people of Punjab," he said.

According to sources, Harbhajan played a key role in Mullanpur getting to host the playoff games. He took pains to convince the top brass of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of the stadium's suitability to host the matches in the present weather conditions.

Picture Courtesy: IANS