5 promising cricketers who made their mark in 2019
Like every year, 2019 also presented many youngsters with opportunities to stake their claim for a permanent spot in the national side. While some grabbed these opportunities with both hands, others let it slip.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne’s door to fame opened up in the most unexpected way, as he came in as a concussion specialist for Steve Smith. What happened after that was incredible in every sense. Indian opener Mayank Agarwal got an opportunity after what seemed like an unending wait, and his hunger to make up for lost time was visible almost every time he made it to the middle.
Similarly, Deepak Chahar had a point to prove after he was told by former India coach Greg Chappell that he was not good enough to be a cricketer and that he must look for an alternative career option. Chahar did enough in 2019 to prove Chappell wrong.
As the year winds up, here’s a look at five talented cricketers who made their mark in 2019.
#5. Deepak Chahar
In the deciding T20I against Bangladesh on November 10, pacer Deepak Chahar created history by becoming the first Indian to claim a hat-trick in T20Is. Chahar dismissed Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Aminul Islam to finish off Bangladesh’s challenge in their chase of 175. Earlier, Chahar had also sent back Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Mohammad Mithun. In 3.2 overs, Chahar ended with sensational figures of 6 for 7 -- the best bowling figures in T20Is, bettering Ajantha Mendis’ 6 for 8.
Earlier in August, Chahar finished with brilliant figures of 3 for 4 against West Indies in Providence as India clinched the three-match series 3-0. He dismissed Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, and Shimron Hetmyer as West Indies crumbled to 3 for 14. With fifties from Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, India went on to win the contest by seven wickets.
A vital cog in the Indian bowling line-up, Chahar has come a long way since receiving that nasty remark from Chappell.