In a shocking update, Yash Dhull, who captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2022, was detected with a hole in his heart. Surprisingly, the youngster was playing cricket all this while without having any clue about the hole.
Rajesh Nagar, who has been Dhull's coach for over a decade, told PTI that the top-order batter had minor surgery in the first half of July. The coach revealed that it was during the U-23 high-performance camp at the NCA, that a small hole was detected in Dhull's heart when routine scans were conducted.
"It was not a major surgery. It took him about 10 to 15 days to recover. He is not 100 percent at the moment in terms of his game and fitness, I would say he is about 80 percent but good enough," Nagar told PTI.
A hole in the heart is usually a birth defect and is caught at a young age by doctors but surprisingly in Dhull's case, it was only detected while he was at the NCA this year.
"It was a small hole and has been there since birth but it was detected now. He will be back to his best very soon," added Nagar.
Dhull captured the limelight during the 2022 U-19 World Cup, where he smashed 224 runs in 4 innings, with 110 being his best score. He led from the front and helped India clinch the title.
YASH DHULL
2022 U-19 World Cup
Innings 4
Runs 224
HS 110
He soon took Ranji Trophy by storm and announced his arrival in domestic cricket with consecutive hundreds against Tamil Nadu in his debut match in February 2022. He was then appointed as the skipper of the Delhi team for the following Ranji Trophy season.
Dhull was also picked up by the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023 auction but he didn't get many opportunities then. He played just 4 matches and scored only 16 runs in total.
However, a dip in form saw him get no games in the 2024 IPL season. Moreover, Delhi's loss to Puducherry in the 2024 Ranji Trophy opener also led to his sacking as the skipper of the domestic team earlier this year.
Dhull is currently playing for Central Delhi Kings in the inaugural Delhi Premier League.
In 5 innings, he has amassed 93 runs at a strike rate of 113.41 with the highest score being 52.
YASH DHULL
In DPL 2024
Innings 5*
Runs 93
SR 113.4
HS 52
He may not be in the limelight anymore but Dhull has had a seesaw career and has experienced major highs and lows at a very young age. Despite that, he is standing strongly against all odds, fighting and waiting for his time to come.