3 young leg-spinners who could be the perfect heir to Shane Warne

4th March 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the death of one of the all-time cricketing legends, Shane Warne.

Easily one of Australia's best players, Warne will have a special place in the hearts of every cricketing fan, be it due to his exploits with the red ball on innumerable occasions, or his IPL success with the Rajasthan Royals as captain towards the fag end of his career.

He has bowled some of the best deliveries in cricket and was one of the world's most potent turners of the cricket ball. His record of being the leg-spinner with the most Test wickets is one that could very well end up remaining unbroken.

While there have been plenty of quality leg-spinners since his time, they haven't been able to match Shane Warne. Let's now look at three young leg-spinners who could be considered his heirs.

---

#3 Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (Sri Lanka)

Young Sri Lankan Vijayakanth Viyaskanth was one of the breakout stars of the Lanka Premier League 2022. The leg-spinner finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, picking up 13 wickets in eight games and showing great control over flight, dip, and turn.

The 21-year-old also secured a contract with the Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2023 and doesn't seem far away from making his international debut. Coming from a country that has given some of the world's best spinners, Viyaskanth looks like the next big talent.

---

#2 Tanveer Sangha (Australia)

Tanveer Sangha could be one of Australian cricket's future stars.

Australian leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha could be a future international cricketer for the Australian side. The 21-year-old has had a successful run in the Big Bash League so far, picking up 37 wickets in 28 games at a healthy economy rate of 7.46 and a bowling average of only 18.43.

While he missed the latest season of the Big Bash League through injury, he has plenty of cricket ahead of him. He starred in the 2020 U-19 World Cup for Australia and was their leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

He's certainly a likely candidate to replace Adam Zampa as Australia's go-to limited overs spinner and if he can keep himself fit, he's definitely someone who can be considered an heir to Shane Warne.

---

#1 Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)

The 22-year-old Qais Ahmad already has a wealth of cricketing experience under his belt. The prodigious leg-spinner has played nearly 130 T20 matches, taking part in the Caribbean Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Hundred, the Pakistan Super League, the ILT20, and the Lanka Premier League.

He has 147 T20 wickets to his name at a stellar economy rate of 7.15 and has also got a good amount of First-Class cricket experience. He's someone capable of turning the ball a long way and looks set to become a crucial part of the Afghanistan national team in the future.

Looking at his profile, he has plenty of potential and could become one of the world's best leg-spinners in the future.