Recently, following the recent success of many young players at the Under-19 level of cricket, there has been an abundance of media coverage, congratulations, and comparisons for these players on social media (NDTV, 2025; TOI, 2026). The majority of today’s Under-19 players have become globally recognised players in a matter of months, becoming celebrities while still going through the emotional and psychological development that happens during adolescence. These examples of success not only represent the hopes and dreams of millions of aspiring Cricketers throughout the world, but they also bring to light the question of whether these young players are mentally capable of handling the increased amount of stress and scrutiny that come from being a celebrity.
Modern cricket is a game with significant changes in its expectations to achieve success. Years of domestic tournament performance were once the prerequisite for professional matches in the international arena. With the current reliance on performances on a single Under-19 World Cup or one extraordinary IPL innings, now, teenagers can be instant stars and public figures. All of this will occur while the adolescent is still developing his or her emotional and psychological self (Gustafsson et al., 2017).
There is now a much shorter path for youngsters in cricket to find themselves in the IPL. Players are being thrust into the national media spotlight just months after making their U-19 debuts, with many gaining millions of followers, sponsorships, media coverage and daily scrutiny due to one viral innings. In the opinion of Sport Psychologists, sudden fame creates incredibly high levels of performance anxiety and identity anxiety – particularly when the person is an adolescent whose emotional regulation ability has not fully developed (Sandhu, 2025).
Read More: The Psychology of IPL Cricket: Fame, Money, and Performance Pressure
The Sudden Shift from Junior Cricket to Celebrity Status
Traditionally, up until now, many young cricketers had to wait until they made it through at least 5 years (depending on the level of their skills) before being selected to play representative cricket. However, with the IPL now taking a keen interest in Under 19 cricket, the scouts identify talent in these competitions, and if they perform well enough, they could sign an IPL contract immediately following that competition (NDTV 2025; TOI 2025).
This creates an identity shift as discussed in psychology, where these teenagers who were once individuals who merely played representative or club cricket at their school/state now find themselves on display as public figure. They now associate their “identity” with their performances, statistics, and public profile, rather than their skills and ability to grow. Young athletes now have a strong perception that if they perform poorly on the field, they will be perceived in the same manner off the field.
The Developing Brain and Emotional Pressure
The reason numerous young athletic cricketers find it challenging to perform under pressure is based on the fact that the teenage brain isn’t yet done maturing. Neuroscientific studies indicate that the prefrontal cortex, which controls impulses, emotional regulation, and decision-making abilities, continues to grow until around age 25 (Johnson et al., 2009), meaning this age group is relatively ill-equipped, biologically at least, to deal with intense stress, disapproval from peers, or pressure from the audience versus older athletes.
Cricketers with more maturity and experience, such as MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli, possess more years of knowledge in coping with situations involving stress and developing emotional intelligence compared to younger athletes who may not yet have had as much experience developing these characteristics. When put into tough situations with time constraints, many adolescents may act out impulsively and/or feel like they have been negatively impacted by receiving negative feedback (particularly through social media platforms), meaning public backlash after performing poorly can occur rapidly after performing poorly (Reddit discussions, 2025).
Read More: When Success Defines You: The Hidden Psychology of High Achievement and Existential Anxiety
Social Media: Fame and Fear Together
In the current era, young cricket players benefit from social media as much as they suffer from it. Social media apps, such as Instagram and X, provide instant stardom for players but also expose them to trolling, comparison with others, and unrealistic standards. A single poor performance by a player may lead to meme creation, online backlash, and other forms of criticism. This may lead these young players to experience increased anxiety, self-doubt, and fear of failure (Sandhu, 2025).
Furthermore, young players today cannot avoid people’s opinions of them. Any mistake made by a player today will quickly become viral content. According to sports psychologists, the constant assessment of a player by the public may negatively influence their self-esteem and lead to performance anxiety among adolescent athletes (Sandhu, 2025).
Read More: The Psychology Behind Fame
Why Sports Psychology Is Becoming Essential
Due to the fact that modern cricket has become very competitive and commercially driven. Young cricketers are put under a lot of psychological pressure at a young age. As a result, there is much more emphasis on the development of mental skills through sport psychology.
- Due to continued mental pressure on young athletes, many IPL franchises and cricket academies have added sport psychologists to their support staff (Sandhu, 2025).
- Sport psychology helps players deal with anxiety, stress, fear of failure and emotional pressure during high-pressure, high-stakes situations (Birrer & Morgan, 2010).
- The use of psychological methods like breathing exercises, visualisation, cognition restructuring and mindfulness will improve the focus, self-confidence and emotional control of athletes (Birrer & Morgan, 2010).
- According to Gustafsson, H.J., Kenttä, G. and Hassmén, P. (2017), young athletes receiving emotional support or mentorship have decreased levels of anxiety and burnout.
- Through sports psychologists, players have been able to dissociate their self-worth from their sport performance (Sandhu, 2025). Therefore, decreasing the effect of criticism or pressure from social media.
- With cricket’s growing emergence as a commercial sport and competitive game, there is an increasing recognition that providing mental health support to young cricketers is just as essential to their long-term success as providing physical fitness support (Gustafsson et al., 2017).
Additionally, there is now general agreement that mental toughness is one of the main elements in continued success among professional cricketers. Talent may assist a young player in gaining fame. However, psychological support can assist young players in dealing with stress, sustaining self-esteem and creating a more important relationship with success and failure.
Read More: Yuvraj Singh Talks about Cricketers’ Mental Health & Why They Should Invest In It
Conclusion
The rapid emergence of Under-19 cricketers into the Indian Premier League (IPL) has shown how much today’s game has changed. Although there are great opportunities for young people to achieve fame and success through these opportunities, there is also great pressure, criticism and emotional strain associated with these emerging players.
Fame and achievement can come from being skilled as a player, developing psychological resilience, and adding positive psychological support systems. This will enable players to remain able to perform consistently. With the escalating competitiveness and exposure of cricket, protecting the mental well-being of young cricketers is essential in order to provide them with a sustained, successful and fulfilling career.
References +
Birrer, D., & Morgan, G. (2010). Psychological skills training is a way to enhance an athlete’s performance in high-intensity sports. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(2), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01188.x
Gustafsson, H., DeFreese, J. D., & Madigan, D. J. (2017). Athlete burnout: Review and recommendations. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16, 109–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.05.002
Johnson, S. B., Blum, R. W., & Giedd, J. N. (2009). Adolescent maturity and the brain: The promise and pitfalls of neuroscience research in adolescent health policy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(3), 216–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.05.016
Kellmann, M. (2010). Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(2), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01192.x
NDTV Sports. (2025, June 14). IPL’s teenage cricket sensation receives major attention after U-19 selection. NDTV Sports.
Sandhu, R. (2025). Impact of short-format cricket on skill acquisition, physical fitness, and mental resilience in young cricketers. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation.
Smith, R. E. (1986). Toward a cognitive-affective model of athletic burnout. Journal of Sport Psychology, 8(1), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsp.8.1.36
The Times of India. (2026, April 18). Advice from senior cricketers helps young U-19 leaders handle pressure situations. The Times of India.
Yardbarker. (2025). Former India coach highlights the importance of mindset and emotional stability in young cricketers. Yardbarker.
