AB De Villiers had said once that he fears the young Indian cricketers the most. There are many great players across the world who believe that India has been producing top gun youngsters of lately. And if India has to send its squad to multiple nations at a time, we will still manage to send quality players and win as well. Here bring to you the young Indian cricketers who are likely to step up and fill the void left behind by the legends. The players who made their mark, and to take the reins from the current stalwarts of the Indian Cricket Team.
Prithvi Shaw
The 17-year-old prodigy fills up the slot for the second opener. This Mumbaikar has been touted as one for the future and some have even hailed him ‘the next Sachin Tendulkar’. Shaw shot into prominence when he smashed a record 546 in a Harris Shield match in Mumbai.
It was this impressive feat which made people take notice of the precocious teen to such an extent that Shaw landed a sponsorship deal with SG – worth thirty-six lakhs! Shaw made his Ranji debut in 2017, smashing a century in only his second innings. Also, he slammed a ton on his Duleep Trophy debut – a record he now shares with Tendulkar.
Shubhman Gill
Shubman Gill is rated as the most talented uncapped batsman, and with his exploits in the recent U19 World Cup and IPL, it is easy to see why. He averaged a massive 124 runs and struck at over 115 in the U19 World Cup, taking his side to convincing victories in each match.
Shubhman’s leverage is his adaptability, and he can anchor the innings and get quick runs as well. Although he excels at number 3, he can even open the innings or play at number 4 if needed.
Shreyas Iyer
This young batsman is a combination of skill and nature, because of his amazing first-class cricket records. In this Ranji season, Shreyas has been on a roll, making 1321 runs for Mumbai, and looking to win another title. In the entire season, he scored more than 3,000 runs in 34 games and scored an average of 55.
With eight 100s in 200 Tests, his record has been nothing short of becoming more impressive. With the unexpected exit of Gautam Gambhir from the captainship, Shreyas was selected to lead Delhi Daredevils in the IPL this year. He can play according to the situation and can change the gear for big hit. He is definitely the number 4 batsmen India is looking for.
Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan has seen a significant number of ups and downs in a short but constitutional cricket career. In the 2015 IPL auctions, Sarfaraz was signed up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 50 lakhs and became the youngest ever player to feature in the IPL.
He has the reputation of hitting big because he can isolate the bowling attack on any surface on any given day. What holds him back, however, is a lack of consistency and fitness issues which are repeated on the surface. Sarfaraz is very aggressive, which needs to be controlled and channeled optimally while playing.
Nitish Rana
Virat Kohli had called him a complete cricketer, which is a great deal because when you are appreciated by the Indian Captain, you have definitely something special. The 23 year Delhi lad is continuously performing well not only in domestic cricket but also in the IPL. He is a part-time spinner too, who can bowl an economical over and sometimes get a wicket or two. Nitish is a stylish left-handed batsman who can play modern cricket with some orthodox techniques. He is likely to step into the shoes of Suresh Raina or Kedar Jadhav.
Shivam Mavi
Mavi has been know to bowl with a good variation in length, line, and speed. He was phenomenal in the ICC U19 tournament and was conceding very few runs despite having bowled to MS Dhoni in a match against CSK. Mavi conceded very few runs in death overs despite being an inexperienced bowler.
Basil Thampi
The ability of the pacer from Kerala to bowl consistently at speeds exceeding 140 gave him the opportunity to play in the Indian Premier League. He was signed by Gujarat Lions for 85 lakhs – which turned out to be a bargain in the end as the young pacer picked up 11 wickets in 12 matches.
Moreover, former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath has hailed him as India’s brightest pace bowling prospect. It might be too early to predict if Thampi would become India’s premier pace bowler, but the 24-year-old is definitely on the right track.
Washington Sundar
This all-rounder has every quality to be in the Indian team, and all he needs now is the experience. The 18-year-old left-handed batsman opens the innings for Tamilnadu and can bowl right arm off-break spells. For RCB, he has played as a finisher this season. He is under scrutiny and gaining his experience and mentorship from the current captain and former captain of India. There’s no doubt that he will play the role of Ravichandran Ashwin in the coming years.
Vijay Shankar
This all-rounder can swing the bat in death overs and can bowl good yorkers too. He has the potential to become a bowling all-rounder like Irfan Pathan in future. Having already played for 3 franchises, he can be a substitute for Hardik Pandya if he utilizes those experience and performs consistently.
Avesh Khan
Yet another prolific performer in the U19 World Cup 2018, Avesh Khan is a bowler who can terrorize the best of batsmen with sheer pace and accuracy. In the recently concluded U19 World Cup, he formed a pace trio with Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, wreaking havoc on batsmen who meekly surrendered. If nurtured well, this young man from Madhya Pradesh can be the speedster that India continues to look up to for years to come.
For legends may rise and legends may go, but the Indian Cricket Team will always remain in good hands!
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