Who is Abhigyan Kundu? The India U-19 batter with temperament and technique to become the team’s go-to man in tough moments.
Abhigyan Kundu’s journey reflects three qualities- calmness, responsibility, and maturity. And, the youngster used all of these qualities expertly to produce a special 80-run knock against Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup 2026 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
India were under massive pressure, reeling at 53/3 when Abhigyan arrived in the middle before carrying them to 224/9 in 47 overs. The 17-year-old continued in similar fashion for another gritty knock of 61 runs in 62 balls against Zimbabwe. His partnership of 113 runs for the fifth wicket with Vihaan Malhotra set the platform for the Blue Brigade to cross the 350-run mark.
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Rigorous old-school coaching methods marked Abhigyan Kundu’s cricketing genesis
Abhigyan’s coach, Chetan Jadhav, put forward a simple condition before his parents when they brought their son to Jadhav’s cricket academy in Navi Mumbai. Coming from a family where one parent was an engineer and the other a doctor, there was a massive weight of expectation.
But before accepting Abhigyan, the coach laid down a firm condition: not letting the youngster’s parents interfere in their son’s cricketing journey. This is a common practice at his academy, where Jadhav clearly limits parental involvement in a child’s game.
Meanwhile, Abhigyan’s parents had no issue with that. They only made a simple request to the coach—to ensure that cricket would tire Abhigyan enough for a good night’s rest. But they had no idea how their son’s restless energy would soon turn into an addiction to the sport.
Jadhav was a student of the legendary Ramakant Achrekar, the childhood coach of Sachin Tendulkar at Shivaji Park. By the time Abhigyan turned 11, he had made a special mark in Jadhav’s mind. His academy followed an old-school training method, involving facing 5,000 balls a day, running two overs every alternate day, and scheduled rest sessions to balance the workload.
However, Jadhav also adopted a more unorthodox approach. He put Abhigyan through uncomfortable situations—experiences he hadn’t faced before. The coach made him travel in unreserved train coaches, sleep at railway stations for a night, and share meals with other players.
“Cricket alone isn’t enough. He needs to learn about life. I take only players whose parents are working. I don’t want involvement. In Mumbai, there are too many parents interfering in their child’s game,” Jadhav told The Indian Express.
Soon, Abhigyan began to excel in local cricket, representing the Avinash Salvi Foundation before training at the DY Patil Sports Academy. He later moved to Anjuman High School in South Mumbai, which helped in structuring his game. Word soon began to spread, and Jadhav recalled the moment that convinced him.
“I was playing club cricket and took him to open with me once. He wasn’t scared of bowlers much older than him. He was focused. That’s when I realised he was good material,” the coach said in the same interaction. “The best part is his game sense. Whether he scores 100, 200, or 300, he never shows off his bat. He just focuses on batting.”
Meanwhile, there was pressure on Abhigyan, whose father works at Tata Consultancy Services. More than the U-19 World Cup scorecard, his eyes are on his son’s mark sheet. However, Abhigyan has balanced it beautifully, scoring 82 percent in his Class 10 examinations and now pursuing science.
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Abhigyan Kundu’s recent knocks reflect his maturity & early learnings
In December last year, Abhigyan Kundu became the first India batter to notch up a double hundred in Youth ODIs during the U-19 Asia Cup 2025 against Malaysia in Dubai. His 209* eclipsed Ambati Rayudu’s 177*, becoming the highest individual score by an India batter in YODIs.
Although not as flashy as his double hundred against Malaysia, his two knocks against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the U-19 World Cup 2026 reflect his ability to take responsibility. Against Bangladesh, he held one end firmly as India kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
With a massive six off Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Abhigyan showcased his ability to find gaps. Later, he used his strong bottom hand to send Al Fahad into the stands. In between those big shots, he focused on collecting singles and doubles. This approach put constant pressure on the opposition captain, who was forced to change field positions in almost every over.
Against Zimbabwe, it was a similar situation at 130/4 after the dismissal of Vedant Trivedi when Abhigyan walked in. During his 113-run fifth-wicket partnership with Vihaan, he took the aggressive route and played a fluent knock of 61 off 62 balls. His bat swing was outstanding as he smashed a fine six over spinner Michael Blignaut’s head.
These two knocks were shaped by his days with coach Jadhav in uncomfortable situations. Those shots came from facing 5,000 balls every day. But Abhigyan is not stopping here. He is already India’s leading run-getter at the U-19 World Cup 2026, with 183 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 85.11, and will only look to better this record in the remaining games.
India’s upcoming Super Six encounter will be against Pakistan on February 1 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The team will hope to see the same level of brilliance from Abhigyan in the middle order.
Really impressed with Abhigyan Kundu the wicket keeper as well. Has batted beautifully so far but behind the stumps, he’s been technically very correct. #U19WorldCup
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) January 24, 2026
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