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This is a country that prides on its young stars. For a slightly older generation, it was the sight of seeing a young Sachin Tendulkar take on the might of Imran Khan’s Pakistan on his first tour.

For younger fans, it was Parthiv Patel braving out the England pace battery during his debut series. On both occasions, the players were barely old enough to get a learner’s driving licence.

In this Delhi Under-14 match, a five-year old Rudra Pratap struts out to bat against players three times his size. His bat looked marginally bigger than the heavily-padded young cricketer, and was barely as tall as the stumps.

Rudra Pratap saw out all the deliveries he faced and displayed a sound forward defence, creditably faring against spin and pace. This is certainly not the last we have heard of him. It is never the case with fresh-faced Indian boys shoved on to the big stage. Just ask Parthiv Patel.