Top five upcoming young Indian cricketers

The recently concluded South African tour of the India-A side has proved to be very beneficial to the rising Indian cricket scenario. The team won the tri-series and the two-match unofficial Test series ended up in a draw. In addition to a couple of established batsmen, there were some young stand-out performers for the team who can prove to be tough contenders to grab a place in the Indian team.

1. Shahbaz Nadeem

This slow left-armer was the best bowler for India on the tour. He bowled exceptionally well on the South African pitches where the pacers traditionally flourish. He took nine wickets from five innings in the tri-series to become the third highest wicket taker, at an average of 25.44.He continued performing well in the Test series, scalping eight wickets in four innings. Though the spin department of the Indian National team looks pretty concrete and settled, this youngster might give a stiff challenge to the senior spinners.

2. Ishwar Pandey

The young fast bowler from Madhya Pradesh has been successful in giving some promising performances on the South Africa tour. He has been able to leave an impression as one of the leading emerging pacers in the country.

He played only two matches in the tri-series and secured five wickets in that. This included a four-wicket haul against the hosts in a high-scoring game, where his economy was on the higher side. However, he was then included in the team for both the unofficial Tests.

He ended up on the top of the list of the highest-wicket takers along with South Africa’s BE Hendricks, with 11 wickets from 4 innings. In the first Test at Rustenburg, Pandey rattled through the South African middle order to achieve brilliant figures of 4/46 from 19 overs. He also got three more wickets in the next innings to seal the victory for India.

3. Ajinkya Rahane

The stylish right-handed batsman has been in and out of the national side for quite a long time. His brilliant performances in the Indian Premier League have proved that he is a man worth watching. He was kept out of the tri-series on the South Africa tour of India A.

He featured in both the unofficial Tests against South Africa A where he scored 132 runs from 3 innings at a healthy average of 44. His best came in Pretoria when he got 36 runs in the first innings and then scored a superb knock of 86.

4. Ambati Rayudu

The young talented batsman from Andhra Pradesh has been waiting for a chance for a while now. He can be considered to have made good use of the opportunity he got in the tri-series against the Aussies and the Proteas.

He scored 193 runs from the 4 innings he played, including 2 half-centuries. He batted brilliantly in the second match of the series against Australia when he got 70 off just 56 balls, but unfortunately, could not steer his team over the line. He got another fifty plus score in the next match against South Africa A, where he played another gem of an innings to score 50 off just 38 deliveries.

He followed this with an innings of 32 off 24 in the next match. He also made 34 off 49 against the Kangaroos in the final. In the Test series, he was included in the side for just one of the matches. Overall, he proved that he is one of the most talented young Indian batsmen, who can score quick runs batting down the order.

5. Parvez Rasool

Since Rasool was included in the Pune Warriors Squad in the IPL, there have been speculations about him by the entire Indian cricket fraternity. He was the only player from Jammu and Kashmir to feature in the IPL.

He was given a chance against the South African side to show his calibre on the bouncy pitches which support pace bowlers. His performance was though not up to the level expected, but he showed that he is a promising all-rounder. In the tri series, he could get only four wickets from as many innings but he was able to slow down the pace of run-making. He also contributed with the bat down the order, where he got 32 runs in the two innings he played.

In the Test matches, he got three wickets from two innings as he featured in only one of the matches. Though the tour was not a very successful one for this all-rounder, but he is surely a man to watch out for in the future.

After this successful tour of South Africa, the Indian selectors may consider a couple of players for the berths in the national ODI or the Test team. Where Pujara, Rayudu, Rahane and Dhawan have already played the game at the highest level, there are youngsters like Pandey, Nadeem and Rasool, who are ready to pounce upon any chance they get from the selectors.