3 Future Indian batting giants to look out for
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been providing solid starts to the Indian team for the past 6-7 years. However, they are now into their mid 30's and sooner rather than later, new batters will be given a go by the team management. KL Rahul's move into the middle order has further widened the opportunities for upcoming batters.
Freak injuries to Dhawan and Rohit resulted in India trying Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order against New Zealand. In the upcoming season of Indian Premier League, we'll see a few youngsters opening the batting for their respective franchises and get good game time under their belt.
Here is a list of 3 players who might go on to carry the glorified legacy of Indian batsman and become a future megastar.
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is already a household name in Indian cricket. Despite having minimal international experience, Gill possesses an illuminated reputation.
Gill displayed his prowess in the U-19 World Cup of 2018 where he was the primary factor for India's triumph. Gill produced astonishing performances throughout the tournament where he finished with 372 runs at an average of 124.
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His First-Class stats also enlighten his natural abilities where he has scored at an average of 73 over the past two years. He was also the emerging player of last season's IPL with 3 half-centuries to his name in the limited matches he played at the top.
The Indian team management needs to ensure that Gill gets the right grooming and adequate international exposure to develop into a mega future star.
With the departure of Uthappa and Lynn from the KKR side, it is all but certain that he will open the innings for his team. The tournament will be pretty crucial for him to stay in the contention for the opening slot in the Indian side.
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw stroked a blistering century on his Test debut and stamped his presence on the international stage. Shaw is a natural stroke-maker and oozes sheer class in each of his shots. Shaw is equally competent on both sides of the wicket and can play off the back foot as well as the front foot with full confidence and class.
Despite a few ups and downs in the recent past, Shaw will be determined to let his bat do the talking in the time to come. Last year he scored 353 runs for Delhi Capitals while opening for them and will look to further improve on that.
He has been getting big scores recently in the Ranji Trophy and India-A matches. The game time at Delhi Capitals will be crucial for him this season and if he progresses well and makes the necessary adjustments in his game, then he can provide the much needed fearlessness at the top of the order for India.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
The 18-year-old Mumbai batter was the standout star in the recently concluded U-19 World Cup. He made 400 runs at an average of 133.3 in 6 innings. More than just his shots and talent, the thing which impressed the most about him was his understanding of batsmanship and maturity at such an early age.
Although these are still early days for him, but, Jaiswal has shown the initial promise and determination of a top cricketer. He just needs to carry forward the steps he has been taking and in the near future, we might be seeing him don the India jersey.
For now, he needs to continue his form in the IPL and make a meaningful impact for his team Rajasthan Royals to further strengthen his chances.