Sandesh Sigdel, Kathmandu
Nepal’s young pacer Aakash Chand made his mark in cricketing folklore with his five-wicket haul that helped Nepal dismantle Afghanistan in a crunch encounter at the ICC U-19 World Cup in South Africa.
Chand went on with his fiery onslaught from the very start to keep Nepal in control of the Afghani innings in the decider that’d put one team in the Super Six stage.
Aakash created a havoc in Afghanistan top order with his fiery bowling. Not only did he take wickets, he tightened the run flow and tied down Afghanistan’s innings. His 5-34 turned out to be pivotal, but not before he had to come down to the middle for that nail biting finish.
Since the inception of his cricketing journey, starting with the talent hunt before the U-19 World Cup qualifiers in Kathmandu, Chand has consistently been recognized in the cricketing circuit for his immense potential. However, it was his remarkable performance against Afghanistan on Friday that truly served as his spotlight moment. Chand announced himself and his capabilities, to say the least.
Chand currently holds the joint second position in the tournament’s leading wicket-takers charts, trailing behind Ubaid Shah, the brother of Pakistan’s dynamic senior pacer Naseem Shah with eight wickets in three matches.
In a conversation with Hamro Khelkud, Chand provided insight into the planning process leading up to the one-wicket victory. He emphasized the team’s collective confidence in taking wickets. Yet, for him, the focus extended beyond personal statistics; it was about the team’s success rather than individual numbers in the charts.
“Right from the outset, we were confident that the wickets would come”, Chand said. “Regardless of being hit for fours or sixes, my strategy was to consistently bowl at the stumps, according to the per-established plan.”
Chand, who is usually known for hitting the deck and bowling short of a length, against the Afghanis, he was making a conscious effort to bowl fuller, with yorkers in his mind. “I missed a few lengths and bowled a few full tosses, but wickets also fell”, he added. “The wicket also helped. The ball was swinging both ways. We went according to what Guru (coach Tamata) wanted us to do.”
Hailing from the Far-West region of Nepal, Chand never envisioned taking five wickets in the match. His main intent was to bowl for the team, but as the saying goes, luck favors the brave, and wickets continued to come his way.
“I didn’t expect to get five wickets”, Chand said. “I was bowling for the team, aiming for a win.” Chand could sense more wickets falling his way after early blows.
As wickets started falling, I felt more would come”, he added. Not only five, I even thought I’d get six or seven wickets. I thought I’d finish it myself.”
Chand highlighted that it was his suggestion that prompted skipper Dev Khanal to introduce the spinners, considering Allah Ghazanfar’s effective batting. This underscores his team-first approach that prioritizes what would benefit the team over personal achievements in terms of wickets.
“I advised the captain to introduce the spinners, considering Allah Ghazanfar’s aggressive batting”, he asserted. “Given that any edge off my bowling could result in boundaries or sixes, coupled with a minor issue in my left hamstring, I suggested giving Tilak a try. I was confident he would get the wicket.”
And he did. Ghazanfar, who looked threatening, was dismissed by Tilak Bhandari on 37 off 21 deliveries.
When questioned about his emotions after the victory, Akash, who was geared up and happened to be the last man dismissed, struggled to articulate the feeling.
“I can’t put that feeling into words”, he said with pride in his voice. “Some guys were in tears, others still seated. There was a four-foot wall, and I just jumped over it with my pads on. I have no idea how it happened. The joy was overwhelming; I can’t quite comprehend it.”
For Chand and the young Rhinos, as they’re called, comprehension is not the need of the hour. Nepal are set to take on two more test nations; India and Bangladesh in the Super Six stage. Although the slim chances of progressing to the semifinals persist due to the carried-over points from the group stages, Nepal don’t care. For them, it is the right exposure they need against tougher opposition.
Under Captain Dev’s leadership, this youthful team has already brought pride to the country. Aakash, in particular, has garnered the love of a cricket-frenzy nation. The performance against Afghanistan could be a landmark in Aakash’s career as he aims to reach for the sky.
