Your 18th birthday has always been special. In the case of Delhi under-19 skipper Gaurav Chabbra, he added spice to his celebrations by smashing a personal best score of a double ton against Vidarbha on Saturday. It was also a record 30th match of his career as Delhi skipper.

Ishant Sharma, at 6ft 4 inches, is a year younger and seven inches taller than Gaurav. What happened to him doesn’t happen too often in the DDCA – being omitted from the U-17 squad, to be recalled later to the U-19 team to take up the new ball. He took a personal best of seven wickets to justify the decision.

The potent force they create together comes at a time when Delhi has been in the want of a solid middle-order bat and a medium pacer to boost its arsenal. The duo are eager to make the grade quickly. “My first aim is to make my first class debut,” says Ishant adding ‘‘if a call for the World Cup under-19 comes along then it’s a bonus.’’

However, with 6 hundreds and ten half-centuries to his credit, Gaurav, has been a touch unlucky; he remained a first stand-by for the Delhi Ranji team last season. ‘‘I want to get in this year. I know the selectors are watching and if I get my big scores, I stand a good chance to make a beginning in big cricket.’’

Gaurav, who practices at LB Shastri club under coach Sanjay Bharadwaj, ironically, doesn’t dwell deep into his skipper role.

“I first led the U-15 team, then u-16, u-17 and finally now U-19. It’s something that comes naturally to me. When I am batting, I only think about my shots. I don’t think it reflects much in your batting but yes, when you go through a lean patch as a batsman, a skipper just gets that leeway of the axe falling on him too soon,” he admits.

Gaurav loves playing the square and cover-drive and doesn’t think twice to hit the ball if it’s there to be hit.‘‘My strength is against spin bowling.’’

Meanwhile, for a 12th standard boy from Ganga International School who started cricket seriously just two years back, Ishant has already been places – the state team, North Zone, Zonal cricket academy and the National Cricket Academy.

His idols include Brett Lee and Glen McGrath. His chest-on action enables him to get that in-swinger going and claims, “I can bowl outswinger, leg-cutter and an odd mean bouncer to get the variations. But I need to work on my legs, they need to be more strong if I have to bowl long spells.’’

Both are young and candid, striving for that challenge and opportunity that translates them to adulthood and to a bigger, tougher world of cricket.