IPL 2022: U-19 World Cup star Raj Bawa’s family dreams to see him in senior team playing for the country not in IPL

Raj Angad Bawa played a crucial role in India’s historic fifth Under-19 World Cup victory in the West Indies on Saturday. Known for his pace and venom, Raj bowled a five-wicket haul in the final as India defeated England by four wickets. His five for 31 is a record for any World Cup final. Also, he became the first Indian to score a century (162 against Uganda) and take five wickets in the tournament.

Raj hails from a sporting family. Tarlochan Singh had scored in the hockey final against England that won India gold at the 1948 Olympics. His father Cricketer Sukhwinder played an important role in the development of Yuvraj Singh and Reetinder Singh Sodhi. “He has always been inspired by his grandfather, and it is like watching history repeating itself. I had told him how it feels to stand on the podium. I think he understood it from within. Playing against the same nation (England) and playing a crucial role in the finals, it’s a dream come true. But it is not the Olympics nor the senior World Cup. It is the U-19 level. And he has a long way to go to emulate his grandfather.,” said Sukhwinder, who represented India in the U-19 team in 1988.
Sukhwinder concluded, “He wants to be the rare fast bowling all-rounder like Kapil Dev. In fact, he restarted fast bowling four years ago. I had insisted he bowl spin, but that was my mistake. We will focus more on speed once he returns. Even though he bowls at 130+, standards are always high at the senior level. There should be a target of 140+ with good line and length. He has the physique to do it. We’ll see what happens when he returns. We don’t plan to play in the IPL. It’s fine if it happens. It has been the desire of me and my family for my son to play for the country and bring glory to the country.”