5 youngsters who might rule Indian cricket in the next 10 years

Indian cricket has been one of the best organisations in the cricketing circuit. In a country composed of a massive population, one has to be tough mentally and physically to secure a spot in the team. The past decade was dominated by Virat Kohli, who had a tremendous transformation from a chubby youngster to the best in the game. Well, we have seen many more superstars becoming the best in their respective roles.

India’s squad has become stronger mainly because of the IPL. The domestic circuit provides a base through which one attracts the attention of the talent scouts of various franchises. Better performance in domestic cricket ensures that the youngster gets an IPL contract. Later on, stellar performances in the IPL ensure that he gets selected in the national squad. 

India’s Test squad had witnessed an epic moment when an inexperienced bowling lineup managed to defeat the Aussies in their backyard. With Rahul Dravid nurturing the U19 boys, India’s future looks secure. Many names have the potential to make it to the national squad.

In the article, we present to you the five Indian cricketers who can dominate the world in the next 10 years:

1. Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan was a part of the Indian U19 squad during the 2016 ICC U19 World Cup. He is a fast bowler who can generate raw pace and bowl mean bouncers. During the 2017 season, he made his debut in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He played only a single game and picked one wicket. Because of an already packed bowling lineup, he was released and the Delhi Capitals bought him as a backup Indian pacer. 

But during the first half of the IPL 2021, Khan has impressed everyone. With 14 wickets in 8 games to his name, he has managed to provide breakthroughs to his team. Because of him, Delhi was able to play a specialist overseas batsman, and hence, their batting lineup became stronger. Well, a bowler like him is an asset for any team.

Imagine Khan bowling in tandem with Bumrah under favorable conditions. The opposition batsmen will have to struggle for every run. During his U19 days, Khan had the best bowling figure of 4/4. Well, playing under the guidance of Ricky Ponting will surely make him a more mature cricketer over the years.

2. Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar is a young leg spinner who has won the trust of the most successful franchise in the history of the IPL. Yes, he is now the premier spinner for the Mumbai Indians. He is never afraid to toss it up to the batsman. Sometimes, he bowls expensive spells, but his wicket-taking ability is an asset for any team. With India relying on Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul could be a perfect backup option.

Adding on, he could bowl along with Chahal. He has been a match-winner for MI. With 41 wickets in 38 games, he can bowl during the middle overs and pick wickets for India. The best bowling figure of 4/27 in IPL speaks volumes about his talent. 

Rahul has already made his debut for India. Till now, he has played 3 T20Is for the nation. Although his economy is on the higher side, he can improve his game as his career progresses. If selected, the team management should nurture him properly. He might emerge as the match-winner in any knock-out game. 

3. Ishan Kishan

It looks like Jharkhand can produce leaders in the field of cricket. First, it was MS Dhoni and now, we have Ishan Kishan. Yes, most of the fans might have forgotten that this Jharkhand lad had captained India during the U19 World Cup in 2016. Although his team finished second, we found a gem in the form of Ishan Kishan. 

Adding on, he is a wicketkeeper too. But, as Rishabh Pant has almost secured his spot as the leading wicketkeeper, Kishan has to play as a proper batsman. Well, he can play at the top of the order. In an era when Rohit and Virat would have retired, Ishan will be playing those match-winning knocks for the country. 

He was the leading run-scorer for MI during the thirteenth edition of the IPL. He scored 516 runs with a healthy average of 57.33. A humongous strike rate of 145.76 showcases his ability to tee-off from the world go. He made his debut for Team India in a T20I against England in March. During that series, he scored a brilliant half-century. 

4. Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw had a big setback when he was dropped from the Test squad after a horrible outing against Australia. There were flaws in his technique and it was exposed by the strongest pace bowling attack in the world. But, since then, Shaw has been unstoppable. He has been smashing records and he was the best performer with the bat during the first half of the fourteenth season of the IPL. Yes, we are not talking about runs, we have considered his approach towards the game as well. 

During the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shaw scored 827 runs in 8 games. He scored for fun during the domestic tournaments. This form was replicated in the IPL as well. He scored 25 runs, including six fours in six balls against KKR. Well, he could replace any current opener to settle for a solid opening combination along with Rohit Sharma. 

In the 2021 season of the IPL, he has scored 308 runs in just 8 innings with a huge strike rate of 166.48. Shaw has also led the Under 19 team to a World Cup triumph in 2018. So, he could captain the squad in the future if he plays for India consistently. He is a crucial member of the Delhi Capitals squad, and his form might give him the chance to represent India in the 2021 T20 World Cup. 

5. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has already taken giant strides in world cricket. After destroying Australia at The Gabba and playing attractive knocks against England, he became the first Indian wicketkeeper to feature in the list of Top 10 Test batsmen. To be fair, he has replaced MS Dhoni in the longer format. Because his wicket-keeping skills are improving day by day, he is destined to keep the wickets for a long period. 

Pant’s growth as a cricketer enabled him to become the skipper of the Delhi Capitals. His team is sitting at the top of the table with 6 wins in 8 games. He has been using his resources effectively. Adding on, he learned from his captaincy mistakes (during a game against RCB, where he gave the ball to Marcus Stoinis in the final over) and his team made a terrific comeback against Punjab. 

He has a strike rate of 149.8 in the IPL. When Pant is in form, he can destroy any bowling attack in the world. In Test cricket, he averages 45.27 while in ODI, he averages 33.06. If he continues to play consistently in the fifty-overs format, he will become one of the premier players of the squad.