After U-19 Asia Cup heroics, Mohit Ulva added to Saurashtra men’s SMAT squad
The 18-year-old Mohit kept his nerve and smashed a four off the final ball to spark wild celebrations in the Indian camp
Following his exploits in Oman on Saturday evening, Mohit Ulva has certainly come of age. The hero of India's brilliant comeback win over Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup final has been fast-tracked into senior men's cricket. The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has decided to add him to its Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) squad.
Jaydev Shah, the SCA president, has confirmed the development. “It was a great display of grit and fighting spirit by Mohit. The SCA has decided to include him to the SMAT squad. We have informed him to fly directly to Indore to join the Saurashtra squad, which is playing there.
“He is a very talented boy and comes from a humble family in Surendranagar, near Rajkot. He lives in Rajkot. We always try to encourage youngsters, and we have decided that he will be a good addition to the SMAT side,” Shah said.
The 18-year-old Mohit kept his nerve and smashed a four off the final ball to spark wild celebrations in the Indian camp and among the Indian supporters at the venue, located on the outskirts of Muscat. Interestingly, local Oman Cricket officials said there were more Pakistani supporters than Indian fans at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.
Batting at No. 10, Mohit scored an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls at a strike rate of over 188 to help India pull off a thrilling win. With three needed off the last ball, he struck a boundary over mid-off to seal the victory. His contribution was crucial, as India appeared down and out when he walked out to bat at 252 for 8. They were chasing 338.
He stitched together two crucial partnerships – 57 off 35 balls for the ninth wicket with No. 7 Manal Chauhan and an unbeaten 30 off 16 deliveries with No. 11 Chigurpati Venkata. Primarily a fast bowler, Mohit also opened the bowling for India, returning figures of 0 for 57 in eight overs. “My team and my head coach had belief in me. Also I had belief in myself. So that's it. I just saw the ball and hit the ball,” an ecstatic Mohit said after the match.
If all goes well, Mohit should be available for Saurashtra’s next game, against Haryana, on Monday (November 16). On Saturday, the Jaydev Unadkat-led Saurashtra beat Vaibhav Sooryavanshi-captained Bihar by five wickets in their tournament opener in Group B.
