5 teenage cricketers who could make it big for India

The Indian Cricket team are currently on a roll, having already won a whopping 32 matches across all formats in the year 2017. With the whole team set up in perfect order, the current crop is widely regarded as one of the best teams to have ever represented India.

While the Indian selectors are zoning in on a core group of 20-25 players keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup, the progress of the Under-19 colts under the able guidance of Rahul Dravid is also being keenly monitored.

India's talent reserves seem to be never-ending, with plenty of promising cricketers making their mark in the domestic circuit. Let us take a look at some of the brightest talents under the age of 20, who could be donning India colours in the near future.

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#1 Shubman Gill

One of the brightest prospects in the current U-19 setup, Shubman Gill from Punjab has everything needed to succeed at the highest level. His breakthrough performance came during the India under-19 tour of England in early 2017, when he scored twin centuries in the ODI leg, helping India whitewash England 5-0 in the series.

Shubman made his first-class debut for Punjab in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, and went on to score a brilliant century in only his second match, against Services. He is a compact batsman with a solid technique, and has the ability to grind it out for long hours. If properly groomed, Shubman could well play for India sooner rather than later.

#2 Anmolpreet Singh

Anmolpreet Singh

Punjab's batting sensation, Anmolpreet Singh has certainly made heads turn through his excellent run with the bat in the current Ranji Trophy season. He is currently the second highest run scorer, having amassed 753 runs with three double centuries to his name.

Anmolpreet was a part of the Indian U-19 squad that reached the finals of the 2016 U-19 World Cup, and produced a match-winning 72 in the semi-finals against Sri Lanka. He could turn out to be a batsman in the mould of Cheteshwar Pujara, capable of batting for long periods and scoring daddy hundreds. This youngster is definitely one to watch out for in the future!

#3 Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar came into the limelight when he was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiant at the 2017 IPL auction, for a base price of INR 10 lakhs. While he took only two wickets in the season, one of them was that of Hashim Amla. Rahul impressed one and all with his leg spinners, bowling with a lot of heart and guile.

He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Rajasthan in the 2016/17 season, and has been a regular feature in their side. The 18-year-old played a vital role in the Indian U-19 team's tour of England in 2017, taking crucial wickets at regular intervals. With the Indian management keen on persisting with attacking leg-spinners, Rahul would certainly look forward to a bright future.

#4 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw

One of the most talented players to emerge from Mumbai, Prithvi Shaw gained instant recognition when he scored a match-winning second-innings century in the semi-finals of the 2016/17 Ranji trophy, which was incidentally his debut for the 41-time Ranji champions.

He had a very good tour of England in early 2017, after which he has continued to pile on the runs for the Mumbai U-19 and senior teams. He has scored 521 runs in the current Ranji season, with two gritty centuries. He has already elicited comparisons with the mighty Sachin Tendulkar himself, and the teen sensation certainly is in the reckoning for a national team call-up soon.

#5 Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar could well be the spinning all-rounder India have been looking for for so long. He rose to fame during the 2017 Indian Premier League, bowling miserly spells for the Rising Pune Supergiant, and played an integral part in the team reaching the finals.

He had an excellent Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) season as well, being adjudged the Man of the Tournament. He was a part of the Indian U-19 team which emerged runners-up in the 2016 World Cup, and made his Ranji Trophy debut in the same year for Tamil Nadu.

The 18-year-old could develop into a match-winning all-rounder for India.