The tournament doesn’t guarantee greatness, but it has a way of gently revealing who is equipped for the long road ahead.

Many succumb after the initial hype but every batch invariably produces a star meant for long-term success. As India prepares for another U-19 World Cup — they open their campaign against USA on Thursday in Bulawayo — Vihaan Malhotra arrives not as a prodigy but as a batter with a redoutable long-term, all-format potential. And it is only fitting that the vice-captain of the Indian U-19 team sees Gill and Kohli as his role models.

The 19-year-old from Patiala has already lived a compressed version of international cricket’s grind. Since last August, there has been little pause: multi-format tours of England and Australia, 50-over Asia Cup in UAE and a 50-over triangular tournament at home.

“There were so many matches… We got to understand what is happening, what level we are at, and what things we need to improve,” he told HT.

The U-19 World Cup carries a different weight. Not because of those who have walked this path before him but because it is the first big goal of many aspiring cricketers.

“Generally most players take this as their first step,” Malhotra said. “For me too, representing the team in the U-19 World Cup was a big platform. You get exposure and understand what you need to do next.”

There are several players to watch out in this team too, perhaps none more exciting than the aggressive 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but what separates Malhotra from many of his contemporaries is not just his output, but range.

In an era tilted heavily towards instant white-ball returns, the southpaw has shown comfort across formats and roles. That versatility has been tested repeatedly over the past year. In Australia, he admits, things did not come easily.

Technical flaws surfaced, particularly around his initial movement at the crease. “Hrishi sir (Hrishikesh Kanitkar) told me two or three things that helped a lot,” he says. “After working on those points, I felt much better.”

The Asia Cup presented a different challenge altogether. Pushed into a middle-overs role at No. 4 instead of 3, Malhotra recalibrated his game. “I hadn’t batted much there before,” he said. “So it was a new challenge coming in during the middle overs. I learned a lot from that role.”

If there was one tour that demanded the most from him and the team, it was England in June-July last year, their first as a team. “The conditions in England were the toughest for us,” Malhotra said. “New pitches, strong bowling line-ups with quality pacers and spinners. The competition was very high.”

Fortunately for Malhotra, leadership, too, has entered his journey. He is India’s vice-captain for the upcoming World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia, and captained India U-19 A in the triangular series featuring Afghanistan and India U-19 B last November, an opportunity he made the most of by finishing as the leading run scorer (182 runs in five innings).

“It helped me learn a lot… how to run the team, how to manage the team,” Malhotra, who is coached by Kamalpreet Sandhu in Patiala, said.

In a group that boasts multiple leadership voices such as Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Malhotra is happy to contribute. “If the captain is unsure in a situation, he has two or three people to talk to on the field,” he said. “We’ve played so many matches together… that builds understanding.”

For all the expectation, Malhotra’s strongest regulator appears to be his internal voice. “Even if I think about skipping practice or delaying things, I start feeling guilty,” he said. “If I see someone not giving 100% in practice, I feel uncomfortable.” It is a mindset ingrained early, reinforced by a supportive but disciplined family – his father is an engineer and mother a doctor.

Recently, he has added another habit: gratitude. “As soon as I wake up, I think about the things I’m grateful for,” he said. “Sometimes, when things don’t go your way, you start sulking and forget how lucky you are getting opportunities, exposure, and support. This habit helps me stay positive.”

Malhotra joined the squad in Bulawayo after a brief rehab for a wrist injury. The tournament may well serve as a launchpad, as it did for his role models. And by all accounts, Malhotra’s journey so far suggests he is built for the long haul.