Ishan Kishan scripted history by becoming the fastest cricketer to score a 200 in a One Day International. The 24-year-old also became the youngest batter to achieve this feat. The record-breaking knock from the opener helped India post a mammoth 400-plus target in a dead rubber against Bangladesh.
The Indian Men’s Cricket team has struggled in recent times. After a disappointing ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, the team lost two bilaterals against New Zealand and Bangladesh at foreign venues. With the next ICC Cricket World Cup just a few months away, some serious questions need immediate answers.
The inconsistency of the top players has been an issue, which needs to be addressed soon. The underperformance of the veterans has got people asking – Is it time for the team to trust the youngsters?
Here is a list of the top 8 youngsters, who might challenge the top players for their spots –
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Shubhman Gill
Shubman Gill
The Punjab batter is perhaps the most flamboyant batter of the new lot. The right-hander has been making it a case to be a regular in the One Day Internationals for several months. The 23-year-old has played 12 ODIs in 2022 and scored with an average of 70 runs.
With a strong game against spin and a traditional approach in the longest format of the game, Gill is on his way to greatness in all the formats of the game.
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Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan
Indore Born Avesh Khan is a skilled bowler. After several impressive performances in the Indian Premier League for Delhi and Lucknow, the youngster made his way to the national team.
As is the case with several fast bowlers, Avesh has had to deal with injuries for a major part of his career. With a fine yorker and tight control over his line and length, Avesh Khan will surely go on to be a fruitful prospect for the men in blue.
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Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw
The Under-19 World Cup winner had a dream start to his test career. Shaw has been in and out of the Indian team given his fitness. His exclusion from the team has caused several cricket pundits to criticse the management, as the Mumbai batter has been scoring thousands of runs in the domestic circuit.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal
The Southpaw shot to the limelight after his performances in the last Under – 19 World Cup. After being retained by Rajasthan Royals in 2021, he repaid the faith after scoring consistently for the franchise in crucial matches. However, it was the 2022 domestic season which is been touted to be his best phase until now, as the opener scored multiple hundreds and double centuries in the season.
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Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan
In the era of Bazball, a player like Sarfaraz Khan could be a great weapon for the Indian side. The youngster has been scoring thousands of runs in the Ranji tournament for the last couple of seasons and making a strong case for his national call.
The batter has the unique skill of scoring daddy hundreds and doing it consistently. Experts suggest that the right-hander can make a perfect no. 5 in the test side.
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Umran Malik
Umran Malik
The Jammu Express is a bowler with unmatched skill. India has not been known for its quick fast bowlers, but given the form Umran is in, he could soon change the trend for the country. Besides, the fast-tracking of the youngster after an impressive IPL 2021 has brought several young fast bowlers from the region of Jammu and Kashmir into the limelight.
Given the extent of information available online, several IPL teams can show interest in these talented players, providing them with a world-class platform.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
The Maharashtra batter was the find of the season in 2021. After winning the orange cap in his first full-fledged season with the Chennai Super Kings, the right-hander continued to score heavily in the domestic arena and even found his place in the national squad.
Given the lack of pattern visible with the selection of the Indian team at the moment, Ruturaj has not been lucky with enough chances. However, given his strength against the spin bowlers, he could make a strong case in the ODI squad soon.
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Ishan Kishan
After scoring his maiden century against Bangladesh, the southpaw has joined an elite list of batters to do so. There have been several question marks on his position in the squad given the lack of intent shown by the batter in the last few months. However, the innate aggressive nature of his batsmanship is a strong plus point for Kishan.
After an average 2022, Dhawan might have to make way for the Jharkhand wicket-keeper batter as the Indian team is all set to take some tough calls, after the series loss in Bangladesh.
