5 young Indian players who are likely to make their international debut in 2017

India enjoyed a great year in 2016. They finished the calendar year unbeaten in Tests, they won 15 of their 21 T20I matches and had the best win percentage of any team which played over 10 matches in the calendar year and despite losing the first ODI series of the year badly, they won the next two series.

Despite those impressive performances, there is still plenty of places up for grabs in the Indian side, not just in Tests but also in the shorter formats as well. And here are a few players who should be given the opportunity to make their international debut in 2017 on the back of impressive domestic performances.

Here are 5 young Indian players who are likely to make their international debut in 2017:

#5 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan may just be 18 but he has already done more that many players do over long and tiring cricket careers. Captain of the India U-19 team which reached the final of the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2016, the southpaw who hails from the same state as India’s current limited-overs skipper and wicketkeeper is certainly one to look out for.

A wicketkeeper and a middle-order batsman of some distinction, the 18-year-old has already shown immense leadership qualities and ability to both grind things out in first-class matches and also accelerate when necessary. Having begun his first-class career with a century and five fifties in his first 10 games, Kishan got off to a great start.

And he has just continued on from there in the longest format of the game. In this season of the Ranji Trophy, he registered his career-best first-class score and took his average in the format to nearly 50. While it is still early in his cricketing career, giving him a chance in Tests might not prove to be a bad idea considering his form and the fact that both Parthiv Patel and Wriddhiman Saha are both over 30.

#4 Deepak Hooda

When discussing about the selection of Parthiv Patel over Rishabh Pant, one player that was namepicked by the chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad was Deepak Hooda. Although the 21-year-old is better known for his exploits in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, it is in the longer formats that he has flourished.

The all-rounder averages over 40 in List-A cricket and over 50 in first-class cricket. Capable of providing some handy off-spin as well, Deepak Hooda is someone who India should seriously consider across all formats. With no one in the current top order capable of turning their arm over and the middle-order needing some attention, the 21-year-old might just be the kind of player India need.

Capable of clearing most boundaries with ease and bowling some tidy off-spin, he is the quintessential all-rounder and might prove to be the ideal No.5 or No.6 and a long-term replacement for the likes of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who played that role with great distinction.

#3 PK Panchal

Even if he is the oldest among the players on this list, Priyank Kirtik Panchal has certainly caught the eye of the selectors after his impressive performances in the 2016/17 Ranji Trophy season where he is the only player to score over 1,000 runs. With over 3,000 first-class runs at an average of almost 45, Panchal has been consistent even if this season has been his big breakout year.

Despite ending 2016 unbeaten in Tests, if there is one area that India haven’t quite able to fill properly, it is the opening slot. While Murali Vijay and KL Rahul both had a good year individually, they couldn’t quite blossom as a pair and their tendency to get injured meant there was plenty of shuffling going around.

And that is where the 26-year-old Gujarat opener comes in. While he is unlikely to be an immediate first-choice ahead of the established duo, he can certainly provide able back-up should an injury arise and the fact that he is only 26 means that he is someone who can be groomed as a future opener, which is a better plan than continuing to call back the likes of Gautam Gambhir, who doesn’t have more than a few years of cricket left in him.

#2 Rishabh Pant

While the decision to go with Parthiv Patel over in-form Rishabh Pant in the recently concluded Test series may have raised eye brows, the 19-year-old has shown that he isn’t just one for the future, but also for the present as well.

While MS Dhoni’s presence in the shorter formats might mean there is little chance of Pant being picked as a keeper, if he keeps up his attacking brand of cricket, he could well make it into the side as an opener. With Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane struggling for fitness, the opening combination isn’t yet set in stone.

The India U-19 star may have only played just one full season of first-class cricket but with an average of 72 and strike rate in excess of 100, it is clear that even in the longest format, his attacking instincts are paying off. And he might just be the kind of keeper that MS Dhoni promised to be in Tests after his limited-overs exploits but could never quite be.

#1 Kuldeep Yadav

India have had plenty of legendary spinners over the years. From the likes of Subhash Gupte and the famous spin quartet to the likes of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, spin has always been India’s strong suit but a chinaman is someone they have never had.

Despite a fair share of left-arm spinners and leg spinners, a chinaman bowler, the practioner of the elusive and mysterious art form has always eluded India, until now. In Kuldeep Yadav, India finally have a spinner unlike ever before. While he might just be 22 and just played over 50 matches in his senior career, he has already shown plenty of promise.

With the ball in hand, he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, including some learnt from a master of this particular art form, Brad Hogg from the pair’s time together at the Kolkata Knight Riders. Providing batsmen with something they have never seen before is a luxury not many teams have.

But in Kuldeep Yadav, India have just that. And his first-class batting average of nearly 30 suggests that he is no mug with the bat either. And with injuries and resting of key players likely for the England series, the 22-year-old chinaman might prove to be an inspired pick.