Every major tournament throws up a few youngsters who have the potential to go on and change the entire way Cricket is played. The IPL does it now, most test and ODI series have their man-of-the-tournament moments and so, of course the World Cup, being the biggest platform to showcase talent, also provides us not only with young men who rise to the occasion and never fail to entertain.
In this article, we look at some of the young men we think can change the World Cup and the game of cricket altogether. It’s not an exhaustive list, so feel free to share your predictions with us.
- Ajinkya Rahane (India):
Rahane is 26 and he just had a very good series in Australia. He’s a dependable and solid batsman and is pretty good in the field too. Everyone is expecting him to do well and we’re sure he’ll handle the pressure well and this might just turn out to be his tournament. Plus, he’s a personal favourite.
- Joe Root (England):
The 24 year old has played 48 matches for England and has scored 1600 runs already, and he’s also a handy off-spinner. His form in the recently concluded tri-series has not been exceptional but his past performances and his attitude might make all the difference for England as they try to win their debut World Cup.
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand):
Martin Crowe has recently said that Williamson has the potential to be the greatest batsman New Zealand has ever produced. He’s an off-spinner and a good fielder and he’s in very good form. In the last 8 ODIs he’s scored over 400 runs at an average of over 67 runs. He’s number 6 on the ICC rankings and we’re expecting awesomeness from him during the World Cup.
- Quentin de Kock (South Africa):
This 22-year old, the wicketkeeper and batsman, one of the most outstanding people on the South African team, has made quite an impact in his 36 matches, scoring 135 as his highest and recently performing superbly in Australia in the recent ODI series. There’s a lot of expectation on him and we’re hoping he meets all that.
- Other:
The other top contenders who perhaps deserve to make it to this list include the likes of Stuart Binny (India), Glen Maxwell (Australia), Steven Finn (England), etc.
This is our list of young talent to watch out for. While I hate to predict and am generally proved wrong, these bunch of youngsters make me believe that they can change the fortune of their teams and the outcome of the World Cup.
Here’s to another amazing World Cup! Let’s go India!
By Shreemayee Das
