After a long net session in hot and humid conditions, Jharkhand boy Sourav Tiwary’s —aka Dhoni II—long mane resembles a mop dipped in a bucket of water. As perspiration drips from his artificially straightened hair to his shirt, he says, “Once I reach India, I will go for a crew cut.” But, as an afterthought, he inquires: “But don’t you think this hairstyle suits me?” At this, a Smart Alec teammate ribs the Jharkhand lad: “It does, you look like Dhoni on television.”

Since the time the India Under-19 World Cuppers came to know that all their games in Malaysia will be shown live on television, they haven’t just spent time ironing their cricketing flaws but worked on their looks too. Most have visited saloons, few are carrying vanity cases, some have got piercings done and one of them has even shaved his chest!

But the majority of them diligently gel their spiked hair—a couple of them have the grunge straight-hair look— while star batsman Tanmay Srivastava is in a clear minority with his conventionally parted hair style.

It brings a smile on skipper Virat Kohli’s face when one inquires how much time his teammates spend in front of the mirror before a game. “The boys are very excited about being on television,” says the 19-year-old, who, by referring to his fellow teenager as “boys,” exposes the fact that he hasn’t just avidly watched televisied cricket games but has even stayed tuned to listen to the post-match captain’s comments.

... contd.