3 reasons why the Emerging Asia Cup is a make-or-break tournament for Yash Dhull
Under-19 World Cup winning captain Yash Dhull is a special talent who has a bright future ahead in national colors. However, he still has to go through the domestic grind and attain valuable experience overseas before he can be considered to play international cricket.
With the talent pool already laden with credible names, Dhull will have to pile on runs and maintain consistency to stand apart. So far, he has managed to stand apart in a crumbling Delhi team after making his domestic debut in 2022.
The right-handed batter, who was even elevated to the captaincy in no time for his state, has an average of 49.78, 38.20, and 47.37 in first-class, List-A, and T20, respectively, with a decent strike rate as well.
His first experience against international-level bowling did not go quite as hoped. After being roped in by the Delhi Capitals (DC) for his base price of ₹50 lakh, Dhull had to warm the bench in his entire first season. He got an opportunity in the 2023 edition as DC struggled with the absence of Rishabh Pant and poor form by the rest of the batters.
Dhull only scored 16 runs in four matches with a strike rate of 69.57, before being dropped from the playing XI.
The upcoming Emerging Asia Cup, for which Dhull has been appointed captain, is an excellent opportunity for him to assess where he stands among his peers and potentially implant his name onto the selectors' minds for future assignments.
On that note, here are three reasons why the Emerging Asia Cup is a make-or-break tournament for Yash Dhull.
#1 Players have made it to the national team on the back of solid displays in the Emerging Asia Cup
The Emerging Asia Cup is a competitive tournament, which can certainly be used as a yardstick to measure youngsters' ability to transition to the highest level.
Since its inception in 2013, four editions have been played. However, despite the plethora of talent that India possess, especially in recent years, they have only won the inaugural edition so far.
Some prominent players have been part of the Indian squad for the tournament in the past. Suryakumar Yadav, the current No.1-ranked T20I batter, was the captain of the team in 2013. Additionally, KL Rahul, an all-format player for India, was the leading run-scorer in that edition.
Other notable players like Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, have made an impression at the Emerging Asia Cup in the past, which combined with their efforts in domestic cricket and the IPL, has helped them get into the Indian squad.
Should Yash Dhull make an impact like the aforementioned names and lead India to silverware, there is no reason why he cannot be a regular feature in the future.
#2 Dhull can at least make it to the Team India bench (if not more) following the impending transition
Team India are due for a shake-up across all formats, given the age of some of the members in the team as well as their performances in recent ICC competitions. While India do have credible names on the bench to take over in the first-choice XI, the management will have to seek new names as back-up.
Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and more are seemingly running out of fuel. Even the constant threat of injuries in modern-day cricket calls for more personnel on the bench, ready to go.
The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Sarfaraz Khan are waiting on the sidelines to take over key spots in the playing XI, leaving their spots on the bench open for players like Yash Dhull. From there on, it is just a matter of opportunity.
A solid Emerging Asia Cup campaign can certainly help Dhull to show why he is ready and deserves to be in the conversation for at least the second-string playing XI across formats.
#3 He may get lost in the crowded pack if he fails with the bat or as a leader in the tournament
Glory at the Emerging Asia Cup promises a lot for Yash Dhull, but the peril of even greater intensity might await him if he falters.
The young batter, who was rumored to be included in India's T20I squad earlier this season, was far from convincing in the IPL and will be under pressure to prove himself on an international stage.
While there have been a number of success stories relating to players making the most of an opportunity, there are several cases where the candidate just slipped out of contention due to poor performances.
With several talented batters already in line and placed right beside Dhull in the pecking order, a poor campaign will derail and push him further down.
He will then have to then regain all of the lost momentum, which will eat up a portion of his precious time, by the time a player would have cemented his place in the squad.
Team India squad for Emerging Asia Cup
Yash Dhull (capt), Abhishek Sharma (vice-capt), Sai Sudharsan, Nikin Jose, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Riyan Parag, Nishant Sindhu, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Manav Suthar, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Harshit Rana, Akash Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Will the rising batter lead India A to success in the upcoming Emerging Asia Cup? Let us know what you think.