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Over the years, the T20 World Cup has provided a platform for several young and upcoming talents to display their skills on the grand stage. Current Team India captain Rohit Sharma and left-arm pacer RP Singh stood up and made a massive contribution during the Men in Blue’s historic triumph during the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan rose to fame during the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, claiming 11 wickets in seven matches. The rest, as they say, is history. Last year’s edition in the UAE saw two young Sri Lankans make a significant impact, even as Australia lifted their maiden title.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps, while Charith Asalanka hammered 231 runs in six matches at an average of 46.20 and a strike rate of 147.13.
A number of promising cricketers will feature in this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia as well. We pick five such players from whom there are high hopes.
#5 Fazalhaq Farooqi - Afghanistan
Afghan left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi has experienced success and heartbreak in equal measure in his short T20I career so far. He was the Player of the Match with figures of three for 11 as Afghanistan stunned Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai.
He also claimed a three-fer against Pakistan and looked set to star in another famous upset. However, Naseem Shah dispatched two full tosses from him over the ropes to stun Afghanistan.
Having seen both sides of the coin so early in his career should stand 22-year-old in good stead. He has the basics in place to be an impactful T20I bowler. He can swing the ball both ways while maintaining the right line and length. He can also bowl a good slower ball.
Having made his T20I debut in March last year, Farooqi has played 14 matches so far, claiming 18 wickets at an average of 19.77 and an economy rate of 6.82. He could make life tough for a few batters in Australia.
#4 Phil Salt - England
England’s wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt made his T20 and first-class debut back in 2016. But with the destructive Jos Buttler being England's first-choice keeper-batter, there was no chance for Salt to break in. He finally made his T20I debut in Bridgetown in January this year, in the third match of the five-match series against West Indies.
Playing as a pure batter, with Tom Banton keeping wickets, he made an incredible debut, clobbering 57 runs off just 24 balls, striking three fours and five sixes. The effort was in vain as England fell short in a chase of 225. Salt, though, had announced himself on the big stage.
After a string of low scores, he clubbed an unbeaten 88 off 41 balls in the sixth T20I of the seven-match series in Pakistan. A stroke-filled knock, which included 13 fours and three sixes, enabled England to chase down 170 with ease.
The 26-year-old will be keen to display his clean-hitting prowess during the T20 World Cup in Australia.
#3 Tim David - Australia
Tim David is no stranger to T20 cricket. The 26-year-old has the experience of 134 T20 matches in which he has scored over 2880 runs at a 163.32.
David has been part of the Big Bash League (BBL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL), The Hundred as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the Singapore-born cricketer only recently made his debut for Australia during the tour of India. As such, he still has plenty to prove on the international stage.
The big-hitting batting has made an impressive start to his Australia career. He hammered 54 off only 27 balls during the third T20I against India in Hyderabad. The right-handed batter followed it up with 42 off 20 against West Indies in the second T20I of the ensuing series, and 40 off 23 in the second T20I of the ongoing rubber against England in Canberra.
David will go into the T20 World Cup high on confidence following his recent exploits with the willow. The Aussies, themselves, have high hopes from him. Many have even termed him the X-factor in the Australian squad. Can David live up to all the hype around him?
#2 Naseem Shah - Pakistan
Rookie Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has made an impactful start to his T20I career. In Shaheen Afridi’s absence, he has come up with some memorable performances with the ball.
He reminded Indian and Pakistan fans of Afridi’s T20 World Cup exploits by cleaning up KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav with pacy deliveries when the arch-rivals met in the group stage of the Asia Cup 2022.
Shah also produced amazing figures of two for seven in the match against Hong Kong during the continental tournament. However, he demonstrated that he has that X-factor with the bat as well, slamming Farooqi for consecutive sixes during the Super Four match against Afghanistan.
The 19-year-old (official age!) is still very raw in international cricket. In the T20I format, he has only played eight matches in which he has claimed nine wickets at an average of 24.88 and an economy rate of 7.68. But as with most young Pakistan pacers, he has raised expectations with some fiery spells.
#1 Arshdeep Singh - India
A year back, Arshdeep Singh would not have been in Team India’s T20 World Cup plans. The fact that he is in Australia and has been picked ahead of the likes of Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna demonstrates his swift rise on the international stage.
After a couple of impressive seasons for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL, the left-arm seamer was handed his T20I debut against England in Southampton in July. The 23-year-old made an instant impact, claiming 2/18. He has gone from strength to strength since, forcing the Indian think tank to include him in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup Down Under.
In 13 T20I matches, Arshdeep has claimed 19 wickets at an average of 19.78 and an economy rate of 8.14. He has been excellent at death with his yorkers, which is considered his specialization. However, during the recent home series against South Africa, he proved his credentials as an opening bowler as well, claiming three wickets in an over during the Thiruvananthapuram T20I.
The way he has held himself together after the severe backlash to the dropped catch in the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup is proof of his mental resolve. The same will be put to the test in Australia as well.
Can Arshdeep come out with flying colors? Only time will tell.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Predicting the top 5 wicket-takers
