15 Emerging players to watch out for in 2016

The year 2015 is a part of history now and 2016 promises to be yet another cricket extravaganza with the ICC World T20 scheduled to be played this year. Along with the ICC mega event, exciting bilateral tours are on the cards too for the cricket lovers. While the veterans are expected to play their skins out like they have always been doing, the youngsters are gunning up to showcase their talent too. Here are the emerging players to watch out for in 2016. 1. Joe Burns (Australia): Joe Burns. (© Getty Images) The 26-year old Australian batsman has already stamped his authority in the Australian team with impressive performances in 2015. Burns mustered 555 runs in 6 Tests at an average of 50.45 and struck two Test centuries in 2015. The Brisbane Heats player, Burns, recently hit 128 in the Boxing Day Test against West Indies. However, he is due to perform in the limited overs. With 2016 bringing challenging ODI tours for Australia, Burns is certainly one of the players to watch out for in 2016. 2. Asad Shafiq (Pakistan): Pakistan cricketer Asad Shafiq. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The right-handed batsman and an occasional leg-break bowler from Pakistan, Asad Shafiq, had a dream run in Tests in 2015. Shafiq, who played 8 Test matches, scored 706 runs at an average of 54.30 with 3 Test tons to his name. The 29-year-old batsman has played 41 Tests for Pakistan since his debut in 2010 and promises to be the baton carrier of the middle order batting for Pakistan in 2016. Shafiq has 8 Test tons to his name with the best of 137. 3. Usman Khawaja (Australia): Usman Khawaja. (© Getty Images) Usman Khawaja needed plenty of patience and composure to qualify as a pilot, and the same qualities have made him one of the most promising batsmen in Australia. The Pakistan-born Australian middle order batsman had big shoes to fill when he first replaced Ricky Ponting in the Australian Test team. Khawaja hit 144 against the West Indies in the concluded Boxing Day Test, 2015 and a week before that, he hit a bludgeoning 109* against Melbourne Stars in the BBL. Khawaja has played 12 Test matches for Australia and averages over 46 with 3 centuries to his name. He will certainly be a key name in the Test team to watch out for in 2016. 4. Ben Stokes (England): Ben Stokes. (© Getty Images) Ben Stokes has already lit up 2016 with a smashing 258 against South Africa in the 2nd Test. The English all-rounder, tipped to be the next Andrew Flintoff, has already shown his bright potential. Having played 14 Tests in 2015, Stokes amassed 719 runs and was the 11th highest run getter in Tests in 2015. The key to Stokes’ batting is his ability to hit big and is never shy of taking risks, be it any format of the game. He also picked up 24 wickets with a best of 6/36 in 2015. 5. Tharindu Kaushal (Sri Lanka): (© Getty Images) The Sri Lankan offspinner who extracts substantial turn, Tharindu Kaushal has been perhaps the most exciting young bowler in Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit since he made his debut in early 2013. Kaushal has played 7 Tests in his career, with 6 being played in 2015. He picked up 23 wickets in 6 matches last year at an average of just over 39 and best figures of 5/42. With his ability to bowl the doosra with effective guile, Kaushal becomes unplayable on his day. The off-spinner is one hot property to watch out in 2016. 6. Mohammed Shami (India): Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source : Getty Images) Shami, the third fastest Indian to 50 ODI wickets, was expected be make a comeback during the Australian tour but once again injured himself and has been ruled out for 4-6 weeks. Shami played a key role in India’s run till the semi-finals of World Cup last year with 17 wickets at 17.29 and an economy rate of 4.81. He was injured right after the World Cup and missed out on all cricket action since then. The 25-year old pacer will surely have all eyes on him right through the season. Shami already has 87 wickets in his 47 ODIs and 5 wickets in 4 T20Is. It will be interesting to see how he shapes up after the injury. 7. Jos Buttler (England): (Photo Source: Twitter) The innovative hard-hitting batsman is the current wicketkeeper of the English Test side. Jos Buttler looked in great touch in 2015 and thus promises to continue his good show in the limited overs format as well in 2016. Buttler scored 642 runs in 18 innings at an average close to 43. He had 2 fifties and 2 hundreds to his name last year. The sparkling feature of his batting was his strike rate, of 119, in 2015. The kind of lower order hitting that he provides makes him an reviting prospect for the team as well as fans. 8. Mitchell Santner (New Zealand): Mitchell Santner of New Zealand. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) The left-arm orthodox spinner from New Zealand is a young exciting talent in the Kiwi ranks. Santner, who made his debut in 2015, has played 3 Tests to pick up 6 wickets. The numbers might not show how good this 23-year old spinner can bowl, but he surely has the credentials to excel at the international level. He is more than just a handy fielder in the outfield that he showed that with a brilliant save against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded Test series. A young exciting name, Santner, is sure to light up the cricket world in 2016. 9. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh): Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The young 20-year-old fast bowler from Bangladesh made the headlines in 2015. With 3 five-wicket hauls in his 9-match long ODI career, Rahman has been the talk of the town. With 26 wickets in 9 matches, he was the 9th leading wicket taker in 2015. But he had the best average among all the bowlers in 2015 with an average of 12.34. With the best of 6/43 in ODIs, Rahman is fast, young and can swing the ball. He remains to be one of the key players to watch out not only for Bangladesh cricket but also for world cricket in coming time. 10. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa): Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: AFP) The young South African fast bowler hit the limelight in his debut series against Bangladesh by picking up a hat-trick. Having played 10 matches in 2015, Rabada scalped 21 wickets with a best of 6/16. He bowled well in the limited overs series against India as well and had the distinction of getting the better of MS Dhoni in the ODI series. He bowls with an immaculate line in the death overs, which make him an exciting bowler. 11. Adil Rashid (England): Adil Rashid. (© Getty Images) The English all-rounder has played just 3 Test matches but already has a half-century and a five-wicket haul to his name. Adil Rashid is one of the vital cogs in the wheel for the Yorkshire team in the County Championship. In 2015, Rashid showed his brilliance with both bat and ball in limited overs. Having played 20 ODIs in his career, he has the top score of 69. He also has 22 wickets to his name with the best of 4/55. In 2015, he took 19 wickets in 15 matches. Rashid can be the ideal all-rounder in the lower order who can get England winnings momentum in the slog overs. 12. Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka): Dushmantha Chameera of Sri Lanka. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images) The Sri Lankan bowler might not have featured in too many matches last year, but he surely made his mark in the 4 Test matches that he played in 2015. Chameera picked up 18 wickets at an average of just over 28 in the 8 innings that he bowled in. His best figures were 5/47 and he also had a match haul of 9/115 in the same game. With the kind of promise that this Lankan youngster has shown, it is sure that he will be a players to watch out for in 2016. 13. Dawlat Zadran (Afghanistan): (© JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Afghanistan team made history by making it into the top 10 of the ICC ODI rankings by the end of 2015 and Dawlat Zadran is one of the key members of this dynamic Afghan side. Zadran played in 15 ODIs last year and picked up 21 wickets at an average of 26.90 and with best figures of 4/22. He is one of the senior players of the team and is certainly going to be a trump card for the Afghan Side in the ICC World T20 2016. Who knows, we might see a few handy spells from Zadran staging upsets in the mega event. 14. Azhar Ali (Pakistan): Azhar Ali. (Photo Source: AFP) The stylish Pakistani batsman, Azhar Ali, has made his mark in the international scene. Ali played 6 Test matches in 2015 and amassed 576 runs at a staggering average of 57.60 with a top score of 226. He was influential for the Pakistan team in the limited overs as well and scored 775 runs in 17 ODIs at an average of 45.58. The stats certainly define the fact that Azhar Ali is in red hot form and will be at the core of the Pakistan team’s plans for the year. 15. Adam Voges (Australia): Adam Voges. (© Getty Images) Adam Voges, the Australian middle order batsman, might find a permanent place in the Test team in 2016. Voges had an impressive run in 2015 in Tests as he was the third leading run-scorer for Australia after David Warner and skipper Steve Smith. He mustered 1028 runs in 12 matches at an impressive average of 59.01. His top score in the last calendar year was an unbeaten 269 against West Indies. Given the fact that he is in such sublime form, he might get a look in for the limited-overs tours too. Whether he plays in all formats or remains a Test specialist, he cannot be overlooked for sure. Voges is one of the top players to keep an eye on in 2016.