Best U-25 One-Day International XI

One thing that is clear is the simple fact that we as cricket fans are currently living through the Golden age of One-Day international cricket. With the likes of Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli performing and clicking at the same time, there is certainly no denying the aforementioned statement. However, similar to the retirement of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, it certainly will not be long before people begin to ask – ‘Well, what next?’ At the moment, there are definitely new kids on the rise who will most certainly have a say in this matter. With the grassroots levels of cricket blossoming in the past year, we at CricTracker have decided to take a peek into what the future holds for us. That said, here is our pick for the best XI below 25 years of age. 1. KL Rahul (24 years old) KL Rahul. (Photo Source: BCCI) At the moment, Indian batsman KL Rahul is perhaps one of the best emerging batsmen in the world. If we lived in a world that accepted runs as a currency for wealth, the 24-year old would already be a millionaire. Similar to incumbent New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Rahul is a ‘calm executioner’. While experts go on to predict a massive future for the Indian opener, they also predict that he would have achieved most of the accolades by the time he decides to hang up his boots. For this very reason as well as his solidity, Rahul is compared to ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid at times. Although it is hard to believe, he boasts of an ODI average beyond 100 and also has centuries in all three formats of the game. One of Rahul’s most recent exploits includes a T20I century on debut against the West Indies in Lauderhill, Florida. Although India would eventually go on to lose the match, this was perhaps the best christening for Rahul when it came to being a true ‘Modern Day Player’. 2. Quinton de Kock (WK) (23 years old) South African cricketer Quinton de Kock. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) Having been associated with the South African cricket team since the age of 18, Quinton de Kock is almost a senior pro when it comes to playing for the Proteas. While his glove work has been questionable at times, de Kock’s batting has been something amazing. For many, he is the reincarnation of Sourav Ganguly when it comes to dominating the off side field. However, in recent times, de Kock has managed to get his wayward wicketkeeping skills in order and has worked with former keeper Mark Boucher for the same. That said, apart from being perhaps the only wicketkeeper internationally who is under the age of 25, it is clear that de Kock possess some of the skills to even lead the South African side some day. Whether that happens, however, remains to be seen. He is also one of the few players who boasts of 10 ODI centuries for South Africa. 3. Kusal Mendis (21 years old) Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis. (Photo credit LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Before the start of the Test series against Australia, not many paid heed to the name Kusal Mendis. However, at the end of the series, Steve Smith and co would have surely been scratching their heads as to how they failed to account for this 21-year old batsman. Kusal Mendis, as Graham Ford says, is perhaps the only batsman in the Sri Lankan side who boasts of somewhat of a technique while batting. This technique and solidity while batting attributes to some fantastic cricket played by the Sri Lankan batsman in recent times. In addition to his batting, Mendis is also more than capable of keeping wickets. This is only an addition of a skill as far as the team he plays for is concerned and is also perhaps one of the most technically gifted players at the moment. Although his prowess in ODIs remains to be seen, he boasts of a massive and healthy average in Tests including three centuries, two of which he scored against Australia. 4. Joe Root (C) (25 years old) England’s Joe Root.(Photo credit OLLY GREENWOOD/AFP/Getty Images) Ever since his debut, many have tipped Joe Root for captaincy someday. If he does not get the England captaincy job at some point in his career, one can only assume that it would be his jovial nature and prankster traits that stand in his way. As far as batting goes, Joe Root is as fantastic as they come. With an ability to bat in any format, he almost singles-handedly clinched the World T20 earlier this year for England. Moreover, he also boasts of leadership skills that will surely come in handy someday. Of late, it seems clear that each time Root walks out to bat he is more than expected to perform. That said, it is also clear that he will be expected to take the reins of captaincy each time he graces the pitch with his presence. 5. Soumya Sarkar ( 23 years old) Bangladesh cricketer Soumya Sarkar. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) It is certainly no doubt that Bangladesh cricket is on the rise. With a plethora of legends spending more time with the side, it is clear that Bangladesh cricket is going through a renaissance as well as a resurgence. A major part of this building process is right-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar. Although the latter is predominantly a top-order batsman, his medium pace is deemed more than useful by many. Having played 16 ODIs for Bangladesh thus far in his short yet eventful career, the 23-year old boasts of 692 runs at an average slightly lower than 50. Needless to say, massive things are expected of him in the near future. 6. Ben Stokes (25 years old) England’s Ben Stokes gestures to the crowd as he walks back to the pavilion. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) In spite of recurring injuries of late, Ben Stokes still remains to be England’s best all-rounder across different formats at the moment. Moreover, his ability to bat down the order and also play the big shots is something that keeps him adrift from the rest of the players in the side. As far as his bowling is concerned, his slow and medium pace bowling makes him somewhat of a fodder to big-hitting batsman who aren’t afraid of clearing the fence. That said, Stokes will certainly be a valuable addition to this team in terms of squad balance as well as his more than the unlikely role of being ‘The jack of all trades’. Although it is early in his career at the moment, Stokes is certainly tipped for a leadership role in the future. 7. Mitchell Santner (24 years old) Mitchell Santner of New Zealand. (Photo by Jan Kruger-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) In spite of the presence of Ish Sodhi in the New Zealand setup, Mitchell Santner forced his way into the side as a slow left-arm all-rounder. A Ravindra Jadeja of sorts. In some years to come, a few predict that he will overthrow Sodhi in the side altogether. Sure enough, Santner’s ability to tweak the ball at will and also impress with his ability to pick wickets at regular intervals and get through his overs quickly has seen him become somewhat of a mainstay of the New Zealand side. That said, Santner will be an important member of this side and will also be someone who goes on to add some value in terms of squad balance. 8. Adam Zampa (23 years old) Australian cricketer Adam Zampa. (Photo credit ISHARA S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Although he is not Shane Warne, Adam Zampa could well go on to be at least half of what Shane Warne was. With a similar action to his leg-spinning predecessor, Zampa was perhaps one of the brighter spots when it came to Australia’s performance in the 2016 World T20. The 23-year old Aussie is also an impressive wicket-taker when it comes to claiming wickets. In spite of leaking runs from time to time, Zampa is a safe bet for any captain of any side. That said, at this age with Zampa performing as well as he is at the moment, it seems as though the leggie will play for the next 4 to 5 years at the very least. 9. Mohammad Amir (24 years old) Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir. (Photo credit GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) Since his ban was lifted earlier this year, Mohammad Amir has been bowling like a man possessed. In spite of the fact that his bowling has been somewhat wayward in recent times, Amir is slowly getting back to his devastating best. Amir made his much-awaited comeback in the World T20 and almost seemed unplayable for many batsmen. At that point, it seemed as though Amir had never been banned. At the moment, Amir is the center of the Pakistan’s pace bowling attack and is also soon expected to become the leader of the new wave of Pakistan’s bowlers in the production line. 10. Kagiso Rabada (21 years old) South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. (Photo credit ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images) Kagiso Rabada burst onto the scene as a tearaway pacer in action for South Africa. With the ability to clock high speeds of almost 95 mph, Rabada became somewhat of a descendant to Dale Steyn. However, at the moment, although he finds himself as a fringe player to the already established Dale Steyn, Rabada, similar to Quinton de Kock is the new wave of South African players set to take the world by storm. That said, Rabada will most certainly walk into any team courtesy of his fearsome pace and aggression that he brings to the table. 11. Mustafizur Rahman (21 years old) Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. (Photo credit DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images) For almost a year, ‘The Fizz’ has been on everybody’s lips. The 21-year old Bangladesh pacer is well on his way to becoming a global icon, should he keep himself fit of course. With the Bangla board doing everything they can to take care of him, Rahman is certainly one for the future. His prowess in T20 cricket especially, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, is something that has attracted many a team and throws ridiculous sums of money at the lad. Also read: Yuvraj Singh hopes to play the 2019 World Cup Mustafizur’s greatest weapon remains to be his slower delivery. The fact that he is able to disguise the delivery as well as he does with the faster one that he normally bowls. Rahman seems to be the quickest Bangladesh bowler in their history. If you have any say in the matter, please do let us know. As a side note, please leave your comments below.

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Best U-25 One-Day International XI

4. Joe Root (C) (25 years old)

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