3 fringe players who could make their ODI debut for India in 2019

As a few of India's ODI middle order batsmen are in their 30s right now, they may not be in the reckoning for the next edition of the World Cup in 2023.

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni will in all likelihood bid adieu to the game after the culmination of the upcoming World Cup, as he would be 38 by then. Players like Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu are currently 33, and they will be 37 by the time next edition of the mega tournament approaches.

After every edition of the World Cup, the outlook of all the teams is typically reinvigorated. Team combinations are comprehensively analyzed and necessary adjustments are made to kick-start the preparations for the next World Cup.

After the culmination of the 2011 World Cup, stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh slowly faded away from the ODI set-up, after having served their nation successfully for well over a decade. Their departures marked the end of an era in the Indian cricket team and ushered the dawn of a new era.

This led to an influx of some new players into the team like Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja, to name a few. And the current captain and vice-captain duo - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - have emerged as the flag bearers for the next-gen cricketers.

Similar to the situation in 2011, India might be forced to make some changes to their team because of the departure of some of the long-standing players and the legendary Dhoni after the conclusion of the 2019 WC. Here, we take a look at three promising youngsters who might debut for India in 2019 as the preparations for the 2023 World Cup commence.

---

#3 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill

The 19-year-old Shubman Gill was the vice-captain of the Indian Under-19 team which won the 2018 U-19 World Cup. He even won the Player of the Tournament award due to his consistent performances throughout.

After a successful World Cup campaign, Gill had a decent IPL season with the KKR team. His persistent exploits in domestic cricket and youth cricket then earned him a berth in the India A squad for the series in New Zealand.

In his first-class career so far, Gill has played 7 matches and scored 897 runs at an astonishing average of 81.54 with a career-high score of 268.

Though he is still very young, Gill is seen by many as the next breakout star in the Indian cricket circles. The appetite he has shown for scoring big in the youth matches as well as in the domestic matches he has played so far is simply remarkable.

Gill could well turn out to be an enduring solution for India's ever-persistent number 4 position conundrum.

#2 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal in action for India A against England Lions

Mayank Agarwal has been the most prolific run scorer in the Indian domestic circuit over the last couple of years. He has scored heaps of runs and constantly knocked the doors of the Indian national team.

Agarwal was recently rewarded for his consistent performances when he was selected for the Test series against West Indies in November. But he did not a get a game as Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul were entrusted by the team management to open the innings through the entire series.

Agarwal will finally make his international debut in the 3rd Test match against Australia at the iconic MCG.

He has played 46 first-class matches so far and scored 3599 runs at an impressive average of 49.98 including 8 centuries and a highest score of 304*.

Agarwal is a proven performer in domestic cricket as well as in the India A tours. He was one of the standout performers for India A during their tour of New Zealand in the second half of 2018.

He has the ability to play as an opener and can also bat in the upper middle order, so he will be a valuable addition to Team India in 2019 when they look to build the squad for 2023.

#1 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw is considered as the next big thing in the Indian cricket circuit

Indian Under-19 WC winning captain Prithvi Shaw made his international debut last month in a Test match against West Indies. He managed to make an instant impression by scoring a magnificent hundred (134) in his first international outing.

Due to his astonishing record at youth and domestic levels, Shaw is already considered the next big thing in Indian cricket circuit by critics and fans alike.

He gained considerable spotlight while playing in the 2018 edition of the IPL for the Delhi franchise. He played a few blazing stroke-filled innings that earned him recognition from all quarters.

Shaw's attacking batting style has often led to comparisons with retired all-time greats Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.

He has played 17 first-class matches so far and scored 1767 runs at an impressive average of 60.93 including 8 centuries and 8 fifties.

Shaw has already made his Test debut and looks certain to make his ODI and T20I debuts in 2019 given his exceptional record in domestic cricket and impressive performances on recent India A tours.