U19 World Cup: Henil Patel’s exploits in Bulawayo triggers joyous tizzy in his village in Gujarat

A video from a local television channel before Henil left for the World Cup shows what Henil means to Jujwa, some 15 kilometres away from the textile city of Valsad, but with a mere population of 3240 people. Almost the entire village has assembled in his modest house. He reluctantly leaves his house, through a smokescreen of confetti. He poses with a long line of relatives and friends before squeezing into a silver SUV. The only video that shows as many people assembled was during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit three years ago to lay the foundation of a water supply scheme.

It was just around the time that the boy who idolises Dale Steyn took trials in a camp organised by the Gujarat Cricket Association at the Bulsar District Cricket Association’s ground. Remembers Jayesh Malka, a former first-class cricketer and one of his former coaches: “I was impressed by his build. He looked strong for a 15-year old, as teens from the villages usually are. He was energetic and had a natural, repeatable action. So we took him, and he did the rest. He was a hardworking boy, always bowling, always looking to learn new things.” BDCA vice-president Dharmin C Desai says he has never seen him lazing around. “He is always doing something, batting or bowling or fielding, or talking to a coach,” he says.

For his fantastic 5⃣-wicket haul, Henil Patel is the Player of the Match 👏

India U19 kickstart their campaign with a 6⃣-wicket victory (DLS Method) 🙌

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/HWYypvuDhs #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/oydCFOsF4i

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 15, 2026

The other enduring image of Henil that comes to Desai’s mind is his love for father. “If he is there at the ground, he always takes blessings from the father. Before every game, he talks to him. He has said that he got the love of the game from his father, who always encouraged him, though they didn’t have a sportsman in the family or he didn’t always have the financial resources to support him,” he says.

Dilip worked in a private company, says he didn’t have many connections, but kept supporting him. “I didn’t have any VIP connections, or knew how things worked. I told him just to work hard, and he did that. He was fully committed to the game,” he says.

The sacrifices found its rewards in Bulawayo. Henil swung the ball both ways, from a long run-up and smooth action, the wrists flicking dextrously at the point of release to guide the ball either way. The out-swinger, perceptibly his stock ball, nabbed his first wicket, of Amrinder Gill. He repeatedly beat Sahil Garg, but without finding the edge. Then in the sixth over, he pulled the length back a trifle and had Utkarsh Srivastava, in a dilemma to leave or not, chop one back to the stumps.

“When we came to the ground and I had a look at the wicket I thought the 4-5 metre length will get me good movement so I had decided my lines and lengths in advance,” he said during the innings break, where he exuded the composed demeanour of an experienced cricketer than a newbie. “He is the silent type, but a very confident boy, confident of his abilities. He quickly sizes up the pitch, conditions and the length he needs to bowl,” Malka says. Raised on the harsh dustbowls of his locale, he has developed his craft to prosper even on unfavourable surfaces.

The fuller length coaxed Arjun Mahesh into an audacious cover drive, which only found a nick to the wicket-keeper, but when the ball got older, he shortened the length. He extracted slippery bounce from hard length. He nipped out Sabrish Prasad with a fierce bouncer, before detonating the stumps of Rishabh Shimpi with a full-pelt in-swinger to complete his five-for. His celebration was a quiet affair, without the unbridled aggro of a fast bowler, not least his idol Steyn. A wink towards the sky, raising both arms and he spread an ear-to-ear smile. “He is always like that, never shows too much emotion,” says Malka. The only time his eyes lit during the post-match ceremony was when he was asked about his biggest strengths: “Movement and bounce. I believed in that and bowled today and got results,” he said.

To see his aggression on the field, you need to watch him bat, Malka says. “He is a very good batsman, capable of wielding the long handle to good effect. I remember an U-17 game where he scored a quick hundred, hitting 14-15 sixes. But if you watch his bowling, there is aggression written all over,” he adds. And on an afternoon several miles away from his village, he put Jujwa’s name on India’s cricket map, even though the village might have lost its voice from celebrating.