5 young openers who can be long-term replacements for Shikhar Dhawan in the Indian XI

Opener Shikhar Dhawan has been in a constant strife to cement his place in the Indian XI for the past two years. After a tremendous run of form enjoyed in the year 2013, it has become cliched among bowling units to point out Dhawan’s weakness, and this is reflected in the record books – his 126 vs Australia in January, despite having bought him some time, is only his 4th ODI century in twenty six months.With age not on his side, it is time that the Indian selectors look beyond the 30-year-old left-hander from Delhi for a long-term successor in the Indian playing XI. The Delhi opener has been struggling of late to find a balance between his brisk scoring rate and his attempts to not give his wicket away cheaply.There are quite a few young, high-performing, headline-grabbing opening batsmen plying their trade in the Indian domestic circuit. These batsmen, though younger than Dhawan, can hit the ball as cleanly as he can on a good day, and they have not had their weakness exposed as cruelly either.

#1 Shreyas Iyer

If there is one man who has been the star of the 2015/16 Indian domestic season, it has to be Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer. Inexperience is possibly the only reason why the 21-year-old has not been called up to the India team yet, but his astounding records over the season have made many fans question why he is still not in the team.

Iyer scored 1321 runs in the Ranji season, missing VVS Laxman’s all-time record for most runs scored in a season by 95 runs. Had Saurashtra been able to avoid an innings defeat in the final, Iyer would have got a chance to bat again and breach the great mark, but that was not to be.

Iyer first came to the limelight as a Delhi Daredevils youngster. In the 2015 IPL, which turned out to be a disastrous campaign for DD, Iyer was the one bright spot. Mumbai Indians wanted to acquire the services of their local boy for the 2016 IPL, but DD understandably rejected this offer for who is currently the hottest property in terms of investment in Indian cricket.

What is special about Iyer, other than the insane amount of runs he accumulates, is the speed with which he gets them. Dhawan was compared to Virender Sehwag when he first came into the Test side, but time showed that this was a hastily made comparison.

Iyer, who has a strike rate of 84 in first class cricket, 95 in List A cricket, and 132 in T20s, is someone who is clearly deserving of the tag – ‘India’s next Sehwag’.

#2 Unmukt Chand

Unmukt Chand is one more naturally aggressive batsman who can be groomed into the Indian top order. Chand had emerged as an exciting 17-year-old four years before Iyer, but his form never justified the promise that he had shown. He led the India U19 team to World Cup triumph in 2012, but he could never make the transition to the senior level.

In August 2015, however, there was a sign that Unmukt Chand was making his way back into form, and subsequently, recognition at the senior level. In the tri-series involving India A, Australia A and South Africa A, he scored 235 runs in 5 matches, with three half centuries.

He struck form for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed as well, the premier 50-over competition in Indian domestic cricket. His 341 runs in 8 matches was the highest tally put up by a batsman from Delhi. On the back of his supreme touch with the bat, Delhi qualified for the final of the tournament, losing to Gujarat by 139 runs on the big day.

He may not be the shiny-faced boy who had dazzled when he had first been billed as an India prospect as a teenager, but the 23-year-old new-and-improved Unmukt Chand is back to make people take notice of him again, by the only way he knows – piling up the runs.

Might the mantle of the opener be passed on from Dhawan to a worthy successor from his own state team?

#3 Srikar Bharat

22-year-old Srikar Bharat is the first wicketkeeper to make a triple century in the history of the Ranji Trophy, and he is one of the very few cricketers from Andhra Pradesh who have been touted as national team material. Bharat, who has been guided by Andhra captain Mohammad Kaif in his short rise into recognition, is also used to open the innings for his side.

Considering that Bharat could thus play a dual role in the team, it might not be too far away when a shock call-up gets handed to him. As Kaif has reportedly told him, he will regret it if he does not end up playing for India, endowed as he is with as much talent.

Bharat’s energetic wicketkeeping is complimented by tenacious batting. His triple century was scored on a grassy wicket, when others around him found the going tough.

He was recently called up to the Rest of India squad in the Irani Trophy, a sign that he has already attracted a lot of attention. He was given the call ahead of experienced campaigners like Robin Uthappa and Unmukt Chand, who have been in good form themselves.

Bharat has been playing domestic cricket at the senior level for four years, and the call-up to the Rest of India squad is timely. However, do bigger things await? Or will Bharat blow his chance in the match, only to be left waiting for a second look interminably?

#4 Akhil Herwadkar

Along with Shreyas Iyer, another 21-year-old opener hit all the right notes for Mumbai in the 2015/16 domestic season – Akhil Herwadkar. He has been a fine young addition to the Mumbai top order, and one of the most crucial factors behind a very successful season for the 41-time Ranji champions.

Herwadkar enjoyed a phenomenal Ranji season, and this may be looked on in the future as his breakthrough season. His 879 runs for the season, all scored in classical fashion, was way behind Iyer’s tally of runs for the season, but the highest among all other batsmen.

His 300 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was also the highest number of runs scored by a Mumbai batsman in the 50-over championship. He is yet to make a mark in the T20 format, however, but might well be getting a chance in the 2016 IPL for Delhi Daredevils.

Not only has Herwadkar’s batting been a revelation this year, even his bowling has ruffled enough feathers. He shocked Punjab with figures of 6/52 with his right arm off breaks. His all-round capabilities might see him getting a look into soon.

#5 Rishabh Pant/Ishan Kishan

Two of India’s U19 openers have made a splash in recent times, getting in the news for completely different reasons however. While Rishabh Pant came into the spotlight after hammering an 18-ball fifty, the fastest recorded fifty at the U19 level, Ishan Kishan was struggling to find his footing in the world event.

Kishan has been Jharkhand’s find of the season, however, and his brilliant application while batting has already made him marked out for greatness. His returns at the World Cup might have been unflattering, but it is accepted that Kishan is the better batsman of the two.

Pant is part of the Delhi Daredevils squad in the 2016 IPL, while Kishan has been picked by Gujarat Lions. It will be interesting to see the paths that lie in front of these two youngsters, but they have both made their mark at a very early age.