Published: Feb 07, 2024, 12:05 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 07, 2024, 12:05 PM (IST)
IND VS SA: India defeated South Africa in the first semi-final of the Under 19 World Cup 2024 by two wickets, chasing down 245 in 48.5 overs. The chase wasn’t easy for the Men in Blue, who were left reeling at 32/4 after 11.2 overs. However, skipper Uday Saharan (81 off 124) and Sachin Dhas (96 off 95) put together a mammoth stand of 171 (187) for the fifth wicket to stabilise the innings, and India finally triumphed by two wickets.
Dhas was certainly the game’s hero, scoring a magnificent 96 (95) with 11 fours and a six. The 19-year-old missed out on his second consecutive hundred of the tournament, having previously hit 116 (101) in India’s last group game against Nepal in Bloemfontein.
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Notably, Dhas is from Beed, Maharashtra, and impressed everyone with his six-hitting prowess at an invitational U-19 competition in Pune. The teenager’s six-hitting surprised the organisers, who even checked the size of his bat to ensure that there was no foul play.
Sachin’s father, Sanjay Dhas, named him after the renowned Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is his second favourite cricketer behind Sunil Gavaskar. In an interview with the Indian Express, Sanjay, who played cricket at the university level, stated that he had planned to make his son a cricketer even before his birth.
Sanjay further admitted that he prepared turf wickets by borrowing money to train his son. However, keeping the wickets fresh due to Beed’s water problem was a mammoth feat. As a result, he had to call up the water tanker every second or third day, and he credits Sachin’s instructor Azhar with helping him develop into the outstanding batter he is today.
Sachin Dhas is the third-highest run scorer of U-19 World Cup 2024
Surekha Das, Sachin’s mother, is an Assistant Police Inspector (API) in the Maharashtra Police and a former Kabaddi player. Sachin’s sister, Pratiksha, is studying for USPC examinations in Pune.
Meanwhile, after his successive match-winning efforts, Sachin Dhas is currently the tournament’s third-highest run scorer, with 294 runs from six innings at an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 116.66. He will be eager to deliver another match-winning performance for his squad in the tournament’s final on Sunday, February 11 at the same location.
