Mayank Shandilya grew up to be a better cricketer after facing the U-19 World Cup snub.
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Mayank Shandilya is a classic example of making the most of testing times. The Haryana cricketer helped his state team lift the Cooch Behar trophy through his consistent all-round performance which saw him pile up 950 runs and 44 wickets in the season. It included three centuries with a highest score of 224 not out against Bengal in the quarterfinal and a remarkable eight five-wicket hauls. His performance is even more special as it came after he was snubbed from the India U-19 World Cup squad which went on to become record five-time champions earlier this year.
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Shandilya witnessed his state teammates Nishant Sindhu, Garv Sangwan and Dinesh Bana lift the U-19 World Cup from his hometown in Bhiwani, Haryana. “It was a mixed feeling watching Nishant, Dinesh and Garv celebrating the title. I missed the bus by a whisker. My performance was not up the mark,” Shandilya told The Indian Express from Kolkata.
“I just told myself that if they can do it, then why not me? All four of us have represented Haryana since our Under-14 days. We won the Vijay Merchant Trophy together a few years ago. I just wanted to perform,” added Shandilya, who took the Cooch Behar (Under-19) Trophy by storm, both with the bat and the ball.
Shandilya was started as an opening batter but gradually developed the knack of picking up wickets through his bowling. He made his debut in the Ranji trophy only this year where he scored a valuable 36 and 49 against Himachal Pradesh in his second match. “The Under-19 World Cup snub made him a better player. It hit him really hard,” says Ashwani Kumar, who runs the Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club Academy in Rohtak.
“Till Under-16, he was an opening batsman. Slowly, he became a part-timer, but in this tournament, ended up with the most wickets. The kind of turn and bounce he was generating, I was surprised, to be honest,” says Haryana U-19 coach Thakur, who himself was an off-spinner for Haryana. “The experience of playing in the Ranji Trophy helped me a lot. I was more confident, more relaxed and everything happened as per plan. Beating Mumbai in the final was a cherry on the cake as they had defeated us in the league stage,” Shandilya signed off.
