Under 19 Cricket World Cup 2012: Diary of Unmukt Chand
Unmukt Chand has also been a national-level swimmer in the butterfly event in school © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
New Delhi: Aug 27, 2012
ICC Under-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand has always made sure that he never mixed his academics with cricket. Very few know the young cricketer has been maintaining a diary since the age of eight.
He has been a national-level swimmer in the butterfly event in school.
Bishan Singh Bedi, who has mentored Chand in an under-16 camp, once wrote in his diary, “Your ability to clearly express your thoughts will help you understand yourself and your game in future.”
The maturity level of this young cricketer has seen him level himself up to two seasons of first-class cricket and getting to be a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Delhi Daredevils.
He might have scored a duck in the only IPL match he has played but he scored 85% on a psychology exam, which he attended two days before the match.
Delhi coach Sanjeev Sharma believes Chand has controlled his hold on deliveries to play the cut shot.
“He has cut down on that shot because it was getting him out. He now needs a little bit of work on his batting for the longer formats but ready for ODIs and T20s,” Sharma was quoted in the Times of India.
While going through his diary, his father Bharat Chand Thakur shares a note written by a 14-year-old Unmukt, which has lead down to his ability to avoid playing on risks.
“The bowler bowled well but I was playing well too. I shouldn’t throw wickets like this again,” he had written.