5 cricketers who could become permanent members of the Indian limited overs team if they do well in Zimbabwe

With some of the India's finest cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin having been involved in non-stop cricket this year, the selectors decided to give them a timely rest for India's tour to Zimbabwe. India have been involved in a long tour to Australia earlier this year which was followed by the Asia Cup, the World T20 and the IPL.

The selectors have chosen a young side comprising quite a few uncapped cricketers to be led by the experienced MS Dhoni. This will therefore be a very good opportunity for some of the youngsters to prove themselves and get them in contention for selection in the upcoming tours.

Here are 5 cricketers who could become permanent members of the Indian limited overs team if they do well in Zimbabwe.

KL Rahul

The person who is most likely to break into the ODI squad permanently after his innings in the first ODI is KL Rahul. Even though he has shown remarkable potential in the few opportunities he has got, Rahul had been dismissed as a Test batsman so far. His brilliant performances in the IPL however turned the tide decisively in his favour.

Rahul was not expected to break into a star-studded RCB line-up in this year's IPL. But so dominating were his performances at the top of the order that he ensured that even Chris Gayle had to sit out for a few matches to accommodate him in the team.

He ended the IPL on a high scoring 397 runs at an average of 44.11. Now, with his match-winning century in the very first ODI against Zimbabwe, he has become the first opener to score a century on debut in both Test and ODI cricket.

With Dhoni ageing and the selectors keen to find a future replacement for him, Rahul might well be the man. A few more solid performances will make him an integral part of the ODI side.

Barinder Sran

Barinder Sran first burst on to the scene during India's tour of Australia earlier this year. Bowling with good pace and exploiting the bounce on the track to perfection, Sran looked a terrific fast bowling prospect for India on that tour.

Though he has not been able to follow it up with similar performances in the IPL, the selectors have quite aptly decided to stick with him. Sran did not disappoint as he bowled with pace and purpose, picking up two wickets in the first ODI.

This might well go on to be a very important tour for Sran. The general consensus in some cricketing circles is that Sran is immensely talented and should be given the long rope by the selectors. But fast bowling talents getting lost after having started out positively is an all too familiar story in Indian cricket.

A good Zimbabwe tour might compel the selectors to earnestly consider him as a permanent member of the Indian squad in limited overs cricket in the days to come.

Yuzvendra Chahal

The emerging Indian player whose name was on everyone's lips during this edition of the IPL was Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal has been somewhat of a revelation, carrying an otherwise weak RCB bowling line-up on his shoulders throughout the tournament.

Leg-spinners are a rare breed and are always a wicket-taking option. Many people felt that India missed a trick by not selecting Amit Mishra for the ICC World T20 2016 though the selectors might have felt that Mishra was not best suited for the physically demanding T20 format.

Chahal has therefore arrived on the scene just when India were in dire need of a young, upcoming leggie. His performances in the IPL were exemplary this year as he finished with 21 wickets from 13 matches.

With a quick action and a propensity for beating batsmen in flight, Chahal is blessed with huge amounts of talent. A good tour of Zimbabwe might ensure continued selection for him in ODIs and T20s.

Dhawal Kulkarni

Widely considered to be one of the finest bowlers in the Indian domestic circuit, it is somewhat of a mystery that Dhawal Kulkarni has not been able to establish himself in the Indian team so far. Someone who bowls with pace and passion, Kulkarni has been unlucky to have not got enough opportunities at the international level.

It was his mind-blowing spell of 5 for 42 in the first innings that played a leading role in Mumbai winning the Ranji Trophy title this year. His 9 for 56 in Ranji Trophy 2013 was also a similar match-winning effort. But strangely he has not been given enough chances to prove himself.

Ever since his India debut in 2014, Kulkarni has played just 8 ODIs and taken 13 wickets. He has had a great IPL 2016 where he finished as the fourth highest wicket-taker with 18 scalps to his credit. His last appearance for India was in Zimbabwe last year and he will be dying to prove himself this time to cement his place in the side.

Manish Pandey

A promising youngster who will really be trying to perform well to cement his place in the side is Manish Pandey. Pandey made his debut for India last year in Zimbabwe and went on to score an impressive 71 in his debut innings.

He has only featured in three ODIs since then which includes the last match at Sydney where he scored a brilliant, match-winning 104. Ahead of the current tour to Zimbabwe, Pandey expressed his desire to play good cricket to become a permanent member of the Indian limited overs outfit.

“This is again going to be a fresh start. We were there last year around the same time and I made my debut in Zimbabwe. It is good to go back there and share those memories, score some runs for India and do my duty,” he said as quoted by the Indian Express.

“My goal is to keep performing and make sure that I fit into that Indian XI and become a permanent member of the squad. My goal for the next couple of years is to be a part of the Indian team and to win games for India. I am working hard towards that and I want to achieve that."