Gurdeep 2nd youngest to play ODI

When war-torn Afghanistan made history by making it to the World Cup for the first time with a victory over Kenya, a player from opponents’ line-up quietly became the second youngest player to compete in ODI. Opener Gurdeep Singh, at 15 years and 258 days, followed in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar, Shahid Afridi and Aaqib Javed at Sharjah last Friday. The world record, however, belongs to Pakistan’s Hasan Raza, who was 14 years and 233 days old when he made his debut against Zimbabwe at Quetta in 1996. “I was very excited,” said Gurdeep Singh, who has an Indian connection. Gurdeep’s father Karan Singh, a carpenter by profession, was born in Jullandhar (now Jalandhar) before the family moved to Kenya. “Though it is not a world record, I feel proud to be one of the youngest to play at the highest level,” added Gurdeep, who scored just one run on debut. “I regret not being able to score big, but I hope to perform better in future,” he added.