5 openers that India can try out in the future
India has plenty of options available for the opening slot. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma look settled for the shorter format of the game while Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul have delivered impressive performances to stay in the contention. On the other hand, Murali Vijay has stamped his dominance in the longer format of the game by scoring runs in important matches.
Although the current scenario looks relieving there is no harm in planning for the future. Plus, the fully-packed cricket calendar can result in frequent injuries. Both Rahul and Vijay lost crucial games because of injuries. Hence, it has become mandatory for Indian team management to have a string of players ready to step up when the situation demands.
Fortunately, Indian domestic cricket has produced several promising talents that look good enough to open the innings for Indian national team in the future.
Take a look at these five youngsters who will surely wear the Indian jersey in future and could open the innings as well.
#5. Ishan Kishan
A teenager from Jharkhand, Ishan Kishan brings with him to the crease, aggression, positive approach and plenty of hopes. The left-hand batsman led India in the U-19 World Cup in 2016 and came back with a runners-up finish. He was majestic with the bat in the tournament and his exploits continued in domestic cricket as well.
Till date, the 19-year-old has 22 first class games to his name and he averages 45.08 in them. He was the key figure in Jharkhand's impressive run in the last year's Ranji tournament as he scored 799 runs at an average of 57.07 and was rewarded with a place in India A team for his performances.
He performed decently in IPL 2017 as well and was one of the rare bright spots in Gujarat Lions' abysmal season. He scored 277 runs at an average of 27.70 in 11 IPL innings and looks good for enjoying a prosperous career.