When the Indian squad for the 2-match T20 series was announced, many eyebrows were raised with the exclusion of the Suresh Raina from the squad. The left-hander has been one of the stalwarts of the Indian team for quite some time now but was not considered for the series.
To be fair to the selectors, Raina has not been scoring runs in the recent past, and thus the decision to axe him was not a shout in oblivion. The Uttar Pradesh boy was appointed the captain of India Green in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. He did score runs in the first match, but somehow the dominance one associates with Suresh Raina has been missing from his game.
Also read: Suresh Raina eyeing Indian Test team comeback
Hence, the question which needs to be asked is, have the selectors finally decided to move on from Raina? If yes, what are the other options available in the country and who are the players who can be roped into the squad as the finisher in Limited Overs Cricket.
Here in this list, we take a look at 5 players who can step into Raina's shoes as the finisher for the Indian team.
#1 Sanju Samson
The young man from Kerala has always oozed talent and class. He shot into prominence with his dazzling performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and many believed that an Indian call-up is not too far off.
However, for some reason he has not been as consistent with his performances, and after a breathtaking innings, he often gets into a rut. This has not helped his cause one bit when it has come down to National selection.
But the Rahul Dravid prodigy has never been shy of dishing out memorable innings, and his performances in the ongoing A-series in Australia is a testament to his unbridled abilities. He has walked into bat at number 6 and has played some astounding innings.
His has the array of strokes to add impetus to the innings and is also a rapid runner between the wickets to keep the strike ticking over. A certain prospect for the limited overs set-up.
#2 Manish Pandey
A batsman with immense ability, Manish Pandey entered record books when he became the first Indian to score a century in the Indian Premier League. He has since gone from strength to strength in all formats and quickly established himself as one of the finest domestic batsmen in the country.
He became a run machine for Karnataka and was always on the fringes as far as National team is concerned. And when he got the opportunity against Australia in an ODI, he stamped his authority all over the game and won the game with his breath-taking century.
The young Karnataka batsman was appointed the captain for the India- A squad, and he has shown tremendous temperament as a leader. This additional responsibility has only buoyed him and has so far scored two centuries for his side. He is by far the best batsman in the A team, and the National selectors should include him in the team and give him a long rope.
Results are bound to come!
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav displayed early promise when he made a sparkling 73 on his Ranji debut in 2010 against Delhi. In the next season, he topped the run-scoring charts for Mumbai. He has not looked back since and has gone on to build his game and has become one of the most consistent players in the Ranji circuit.
He went on to become one of the gun performers for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, where he is used as a finisher. Yadav has on many occasions showed that he has the game to manoeuvre the fields with his unorthodox strokes on all side of the fields. He also has a tremendous temperament, as he was appointed the vice-captain of KKR this season.
#4 Hardik Pandya
The big-hitting all-rounder had a breakthrough season for the Mumbai Indians in 2015 and was earmarked for success. He continued his big hitting form in the following Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, and thus was handed the Indian cap for the T20 series against Australia late last year.
A tonker of the cricket ball, Hardik can also bowl decent seam up ball and is a brilliant fielder anywhere in the outfield. He was a member of the Indian team for the World T20 and will always be remembered for his last over against Bangladesh, where he helped India clinch an absolute thriller of a match.
However, after his initial heroics, Pandya could not carry on this form to this year's IPL and faded out of prominence. He is a part of the India A squad and this is an indication that the selectors are aware of his talent and want to give him enough opportunities to prove his mettle.
#5 Sarfaraz Khan
The young chubby right-hander was one of the finds during the initial stages of this year's IPL and was used a finisher by the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore. He grabbed eyeballs with his fearless strokeplay and audacious demeanour.
The young man was not afraid to take on the big guns and displayed tremendous steel during the tournament. In the following Under-19 World Cup, Sarfaraz emerged as one of the bright sparks for the Indian team and showcased superb game sense and pedigree.
However, the selectors and the Indian fans will now hope that the young man will carry on this form into the Ranji Trophy this year, and translates this early raw potential into match-winning performances.
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