4 Indian youngsters who should be groomed for the 2019 World Cup 

ECB XI v India A - Tour Match
The likes of Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, and Siddarth Kaul would all try to make a mark for themselves in the coming few months.

With the 2019 ICC World Cup fast approaching, all the participating nations are busy planning strategies to emerge on top in the competition. Therefore, the upcoming bilateral and multi-nation tournaments have gained extra importance in order to experiment with various styles and tactics.

The coaches and captains are also looking to test out multiple combinations of players in order to know the best fit. In addition to the regulars, the teams are willing to give sufficient chances to the bench strength to prove their mettle and justify the selectors' faith in them.

India too is no different and would love to give enough exposure to a handful of players to keep its guns in all readiness, cometh the battle for the much-coveted trophy.

While grooming the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, and Ashish Nehra paid good dividends in the 2003 World Cup, the then young Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin made crucial contributions whenever presented with an opportunity during the 2011 World Cup which proved the fact that investing time in young cricketers does turn out to be a smart move.

With less than 10 months to go to the next year's championship, here are 4 young Indian cricketers who would need proper grooming in the 50-overs format, to be able to transform themselves into some of India's most valuable assets:


#4 Shreyas Iyer

South Africa v India - 5th Momentum ODI
Shreyas Iyer holds great prospects in store for India

Shreyas Iyer has been knocking on the doors of the national team for quite some time now. The young batsman from Mumbai has been a prolific run scorer in the domestic tournaments and over the years, has even made a name for himself in the IPL. The youngster also captained the Delhi Daredevils in this year's IPL showcasing maturity far beyond his years.

Debuting for India in December of last year, the 23-year-old has been presented with just 5 opportunities thus far. However, Iyer, with his batting talent, succeeded in grabbing eyeballs in those limited chances and even notched up two fifties, including a blistering 88 off 70 balls against Sri Lanka.

With an ability to both, keep the scoreboard ticking and play the big shots when needed, Iyer would certainly come as a handy resource in the limited overs format.

#3 KL Rahul

England v India - 3rd Vitality International T20
KL Rahul has turned to be a match-winner for India

Fast turning into a regular feature in the Test format, KL Rahul still finds himself in and out of the team in the 50 overs format, having played just 12 ODIs. While there have been no questions raised on Rahul's batting potency, it is his lack of consistency that has played the role of a spoilsport.

And with numerous other players, including the experienced crop of Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, and Ambati Rayudu trying to find a spot in the middle order, the man from Karnataka would be itching to prove his worth.

However, given the right-hander's supreme prowess with the bat, it would be nothing less than a grave sin to restrict him to the bench. Rahul's recent T20 century against England stands as a shining testimony of his match-winning ability and pronounces the fact that he needs enough backing and support to continue in the team, despite intermittent failures.

#2 Kuldeep Yadav

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series
Kuldeep Yadav was India's trump card in the recently concluded T20 and ODI series in England

As many critics have been rightly pointed out, spin-bowling in cricket no longer continues to be the same as it was probably a decade ago. With the advent of T20 cricket, the dynamics of the game have been completely redefined and the majority of the bowlers, especially spinners, have been forced to change the way they go about their bowling.

However, India's Kuldeep Yadav stands as one of the few bowlers currently, who continue to deceive the batsman by bowling in an old-fashioned way. The 23-year-old doesn't shy away from tossing the ball and also possesses a myriad of tricks under his sleeve to bamboozle the best of batsmen.

Thanks to his superlative talent, the young chinaman bowler has emerged as one of India's major weapons in the limited over formats. Akin to any other leggie, Yadav also tends to go for runs occasionally but if given a prolonged run in the team, he promises to get better with time and could become India's X-factor in the next year's World Cup.

#1 Rishabh Pant

England Lions v India A - Tri-Series International
Rishabh Pant has impressed one and all with his batting flair

If there is one batsman who looks poised to take the cricketing world by storm in the coming years, it is Rishabh Pant. Ever since he hit that 18-ball fifty in the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Pant has been showcasing his ability to win games single-handedly ever since.

Pummeling the bowlers to all corners at will, the young lad from Delhi left everyone in awe of his talents with scintillating performances in this year's IPL.

The southpaw has not enjoyed enough opportunities thus far to prove his batting mettle for the nation. Having been in the mix of things with the Indian team for more than a year now, Pant deserves to be presented an opportunity in the 50-over format.

With age on his side, the 20-year-old should be looked after well and given enough exposure to turn him into a vital cog of the Indian team for the tournaments in the near future.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!

Quick Links

Edited by Debjyoti Samanta