4 New faces in the Indian team for the T20I series against Sri Lanka
These youngsters have impressed the selectors in the IPL as well as domestic cricket to earn a spot in the team.
The Indian selectors have been constantly on the lookout for the perfect mix of talented youngsters and experienced cricketers in recent times. This is of increased importance considering the upcoming World Cup which is all set to be battled out toe-to-toe between the top cricketing nations around the world leaving almost no scope for error.
A couple of exciting youngsters who have proven themselves in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket in recent past have also been handed a chance in the upcoming T20 International series against Sri Lanka. Let’s take a look at them:
1. Washington Sundar
The talented 18-year-old all-rounder who bats at the top of the order in domestic cricket and bowls accurate off-spin is one of the exciting additions to the squad. Recently handed an opportunity in a crucial ODI clash against Sri Lanka, Sundar was increasingly impressive and deceived the batsmen with his off-breaks.
His performance for the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 season of the IPL also did his glowing reputation no harm. With 532 runs in 12 first-class matches and the highest score of 152, Sundar seems destined for success.
2. Deepak Hooda
The 22-year-old allrounder who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket enjoys a reputation for being a big hitter who clears the fence easily. He can also bowl effective off-break deliveries which urged the Sunrisers to splurge 4.2 crores for his services after an impressive stint with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL where he had a score of 54 as his highest at a strike rate of 139/100 deliveries.
Upgraded as the Baroda captain in the domestic circuit this season Hooda has been a part of the India A team regularly and has impressed all the coaches and experts on his way to the Indian T20I team.
3. Basil Thampi
The lanky pace bowler who is considered one of the fastest in the country decided to pursue a career in cricket after an intense discussion with his club team captain rather than pursuing a career in the Gulf. With 11 wickets for the Gujarat Lions in the recent edition of the IPL after being handed an opportunity considering his glowing reputation of clocking 140kmph, Thampi has gone from strength to strength. He has also swooped 8 wickets in 3 Ranji Trophy clashes so far leading Kerala to the knockouts.
4. Mohammed Siraj
The 23-year-old Hyderabad based pace bowler enjoys rags to riches story having battled poverty initially before a 2.6 crore bid from the Sunrisers Hyderabad changed his life. His ability to generate pace and bounce earned him a lot of appreciation from SRH coach Tom Moody after swooping 10 wickets in 6 games.
His efforts in the IPL earned praise from legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who called and flowered him with words of praise which further motivated the young lad to no end. Siraj made his T20I debut against New Zealand earlier this year and will be itching to make a mark against the Lankans.
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