The ICC U19 World Cup was a very important milestone in my career - Virat Kohli

After an era-defining ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2019, and ahead of this month’s renewal of the U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, top stars say the competition made them the players they

Stokes’ ability to shape games and tournaments in England’s favour shone through at the 2010 U19 Cricket World Cup, where he appeared alongside fellow Men’s Cricket World Cup winners Joe Root and Jos Buttler.

Just as he pulled England back from the brink to win last summer’s Cricket World Cup, Stokes strode to the crease at 60 for four in the final group game of 2010 against India and took matters into his own hands.

The all-rounder peeled off 100 from 88 balls, including six sixes, to lift England to a total of 246 that they successfully defended and gave them a flawless group stage record in New Zealand.

It’s an innings that still sticks in the memory of Root, who feels the tournament played a crucial role in the development of a world-beating generation of English one-day cricketers.

“We didn’t get off to the best start in that India game but Ben played one of the best innings I’d ever seen for a player of that age,” said Root.

“It was on the first world stage you can play on – he made a brilliant hundred and we ended up winning the game against the tournament favourites, which was fantastic and great to be a part of.

“It was a launchpad for me and I played in a squad with a guys who are still in the team now, like Ben and James Vince.

“To play alongside players like that, learn from them and watch them develop, to then go back and play against them in county cricket, meant we were always pushing each other to get better.”

Four years on and the modern bowling phenomenon that is Rahman was unleashed by Bangladesh on ICC tournament play for the first time in the UAE.

The left-arm quick, nicknamed ‘Fizz’, put in place the building blocks of his reputation with three for 24 against Namibia and then three for 11 against Canada as Bangladesh won the Plate Championship.