5 Indians who could make their T20I debut in the T20 World Cup
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the perfect platform for young Indian stars to showcase their T20 prowess. Their exposure and experience has helped fast-track them on the international circuit. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year, many Indian domestic talents will be vying for a place in the national team.
In this article, we look at five such Indian players who could end up making their T20 international debut in the seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup.
5. Prasidh Krishna
Prasidh Krishna will be a good addition to the fast-bowling arsenal of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. The 25-year-old who recently made his ODI debut against the visiting England team, finished the series as the third-best bowler with six wickets across three games.
The lanky Karnataka pacer possesses the ability to bowl at a searing pace of over 140 kmph and can also deceive the batters with his well-disguised slower deliveries. With a dot ball percentage of 41 in the final five overs of an innings in T20 cricket, Krishna will be on the selectors' radar for the World Cup.
4. Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal has been in rampant batting form over the last few months. The youngster had an impressive debut season in the 2020 edition of the IPL. He scored 473 runs and was adjudged the emerging player of the tournament. The 20-year-old continued his outstanding form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 737 runs in just 7 games at a whopping average of 147. He followed it by racking up 218 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his state team.
The RCB opener smashed his maiden IPL century last month, decimating the Rajasthan Royals bowlers with his audacious stroke-play. Paddikal’s recent form bodes well for his chances in the T20 World Cup squad.
3. Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarty will be eager to make the cut for the T20 World Cup after failing a fitness test earlier this year, which jeopardized his international debut.
Chakravarthy began IPL 2021 on a bright note, picking up 7 wickets in as many games before the tournament came to an abrupt halt. The 29-year old is a clever operator with the ball and is hard to score against. Given India’s recent spin bowling woes in the home series against England, the T20 World Cup will be the best opportunity for the wily Tamil Nadu off-spinner to prove his mettle and cement a place in the team.
2. Avesh Khan
Although the 14th edition of the IPL was suspended after 29 games, Avesh Khan was the talking point of the season courtesy of his meteoric rise in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old scalped 27 wickets from the 12 T20 matches he played in 2021, with a dot ball percentage of 46. The Madhya Pradesh youngster was a vital cog in the Delhi Capitals' bowling unit this season. He was often handed the responsibility to break crucial partnerships. Khan’s ability to pick up wickets with the new ball and stem the flow of runs at the death makes him a strong contender for the T20 World Cup team.
1. Harshal Patel
The incumbent purple cap holder of IPL 2021 was the star with the ball for RCB this season. Harshal Patel picked up 17 wickets across 7 matches and was one of the prime reasons for his franchise’s dominant run in this edition. The 30-year-old picked up 11 of his wickets bowling at the death, stifling the opposition batters with pinpoint yorkers and smart variations of pace.
Harshal Patel is also a handy lower-order batter and has a career strike rate of over 150 from 103 T20 games. With Hardik Pandya’s current inability to contribute with the ball, Harshal Patel could be his perfect replacement for the T20 World Cup.