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The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup will run from May 31- July 14, 2019. A host of superstars from ten countries will battle it out for the game's ultimate prize.
While some legendary players like India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be playing their fourth ICC Cricket World Cup, for the young and exciting players who burst onto the International scene 2-3 years ago it will be the first ever World Cup.
These young players have made major contributions to their sides in the past few years and will be looking to make a mark in the biggest stage of all next summer.
Some of these players have topped the bowling charts with their exceptional display with the ball. Let us now look five upcoming cricketers who will be crucial to their team's success at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup next summer.
Note: Only the players who were born on or after October 1993 and played less than 50 ODIs are considered in this list
#7 Hardik Pandya (India)
Hardik rose to prominence during Mumbai Indians' victorious 2015 Indian Premier League campaign and even the great Sachin Tendulkar was impressed with his all-round skills.
Hardik, who made his T20I debut against Australia in January 2016, played a crucial role in India's title win at the 2016 T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh prior to the World T20.
Thanks to his exceptional performances in the IPL, he made it to the Indian team for the 2016 ICC World T20 where he played a crucial role in India's win over Bangladesh in a Super 10 fixture.
Though he had an otherwise forgettable run in that tournament, he was considered as one of the brightest limited-over prospects for Team India who were in pursuit of a fast-bowling all-rounder for quite a long time.
The Surat-born all-rounder made his ODI debut for Team India back in October 2016 against New Zealand, in which he was the Man of the Match for his exploits with the bat. He ended the year with four wickets and 45 runs to his name in four ODI matches.
After an exceptional show in the early part of 2017 especially in the IPL, he was named in the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England.
Pandya made 105 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 194.44 and also took four wickets in that tournament.
His valiant knock in the finals against Pakistan- 76(43) included four boundaries and six astonishing sixes. Unfortunately, his knock went into vain as he was not well supported by other Indian batsmen who fell cheaply chasing 339 for victory.
Pandya, who finished 2017 with 31 wickets in 28 matches, is now one of the vital members of India's 2019 World Cup squad. He will try to banish the memories of that fateful day with his all-round show next summer when takes the field wearing the blue jersey.
ODI stats: Matches- 38, Runs- 628, Average- 29.9, Wickets- 39, Best figures-3/31
#6 Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Mendis has been indispensable at number three for Sri Lanka since making his ODI debut for Sri Lanka back in June 2016 against Ireland.
The wicket-keeper batsman who captained the Lankan colts at the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in UAE, has been exceptional with the bat for the Island nation in the past two years. Mendis was awarded the Sri Lankan Cricket's Best ODI batsman of the year (2016-17) award for his 569 runs in 17 matches for Sri Lanka in the year 2016.
He continued his excellent into the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy as well, scoring a match-winning 89 during Sri Lanka's record Champions Trophy chase of 322 against India at the Oval.
He ended the year with 587 runs in 22 matches, with four half-centuries and a century. After the retirement of the legendary Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan batting suffered a jolt.
But with players like Kusal Mendis stepping up consistently at the top, the Lankan lions are continuing their domination with the bat. His exploits in the ICC Champions Trophy last year will be a reminder for the teams facing Sri Lanka next year in the showpiece event in the UK.
ODI stats: Matches-44, Runs- 1239, Average- 30.98, Highest score- 102
#5 Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
Ali made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Ireland in August 2016. The right-arm medium fast bowler rose to prominence during Pakistan's victorious 2017 ICC Champions Trophy campaign in England.
Ali, who finished the tournament with 13 wickets was named the Player of the Tournament and also won the Golden ball for his exploits with the ball.
His consistency with the ball saw him claim the top spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for the bowlers on October last year when he became the fastest Pakistan bowler to take 50 ODI wickets. He finished 2017 as the highest wicket-taker (in ODIs), with a staggering 45 wickets in just 18 matches.
Currently, he is fourth on the list of ICC rankings for the bowlers in the ODIs. Ali will once again look to replicate his success story in England when the World Cup kicks off next summer.
ODI stats: Matches-30, Wickets-62, Economy-5.20, Best figures-5/34
#4 Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
Rashid made his ODI debut when he was just seventeen against Zimbabwe back in October 2015.
Currently 19, he is already one of the best in the business. Though he had a forgettable outing during Afghanistan's historic first ever Test match against India, he continues to be a force to reckon with in the limited overs.
Rashid, who finished as the second highest wicket-taker last year (2017), is currently the highest wicket-taker in 2018 with 30 wickets in 12 matches so far this year. His 7/18 in June 2017 against the West Indies is a perfect example of the astonishing talent of the Afghan sensation.
The leg-spinner, who is currently second in the ICC ODI rankings for the bowlers is all set to play in his first ever ICC Cricket World Cup next year. Watch out for his magical spells in the summer of 2019.
ODI stats: Matches-43 , Wickets-100 ,Economy- 3.96, Best figures-7/18
#3 Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
The Proteas pacer made his ODI debut in July 2015 against Bangladesh, when he was just 20.
It was a memorable debut for Rabada, who finished with the figures of 6/16 that included a sensational hat-trick. Since then, he has been an unstoppable force in world cricket with his pace and raw talent.
Rabada finished 2017 with 27 wickets in 18 matches for South Africa and was their joint best bowler last year along with the leg spinner, Imran Tahir.
He has been equally vulnerable in the Test matches too, with some astonishing spells against India and Australia recently. The injury he sustained while playing against Australia ruled him out for three months, thereby he missed the 2018 IPL.
Watch out for the fiery right arm fast bowler once he is back to the International circuit from the injury.
Especially with the injury-prone Dale Steyn out of reckoning in the ODI squad and Morne Morkel announcing his retirement in March 2018, the Proteas pace department while be heavily banking upon the number seven ranked ICC ODI bowler in the 2019 World Cup in England next year.
ODI stats: Matches-48, Wickets-75, Economy-5.11, Best figures-6/16
#2 Babar Azam (Pakistan)
The former captain of the Pakistan Under-19 squad made his senior team debut in May 2015 against Zimbabwe.
Azam is the quickest Pakistan player to score 1000 ODI runs- the feat he achieved in just 21 innings. The right-hander made 133 runs in five innings en route to his team's title win at the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England.
In the finals against arch-rivals India at the Oval, he made a vital 46(52) thereby contributing to a huge Pakistan total of 338/4, which they defended in style (won by 180 runs).
Azam became the first batsman in the history of ODIs to score five consecutive centuries in one country (UAE) in the series against Sri Lanka in October last year.
He was Pakistan's highest run-getter in both 2016 and 2017 with 656 (11 matches) and 872 runs (18 matches) respectively. Touted to be the next biggest thing in Pakistan cricket, he is one of the best batsmen among the current generation players.
The number five ranked ODI batsman might become the best Pakistan batsman of this generation with his extraordinary skill, technique, and consistency. His contributions at the top will be vital for the 1992 World champions at the ICC Cricket World Cup in the summer of 2019.
ODI stats: Matches- 41, Runs- 1789, Average-51.11, Highest score- 125
#1 Jasprit Bumrah (India)
The lanky Gujarat pacer made his ODI debut during India's tour of Australia back in January 2016. With his slingy action, he continues to torment batsmen who find it difficult to read his deliveries.
An effective death bowler, Bumrah is s good at executing the toe-crushing yorkers and pace variations.
Though he had a forgettable run in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, he finished the year as the third highest wickets taker in ODIs with 39 wickets in 23 matches.
Bumrah's rise has been meteoric and he is now one of the leading bowlers for the Men in Blue going into the next year's showpiece event in the UK.
Currently, he is the number one ranked ODI bowler in the world ahead of some of the best bowlers in the world. With this form and confidence, Bumrah might we be the triumph card for Team India in the 2019 World Cup.
ODI stats: Matches-37, Wickets-64, Economy-4.65, Best figures-5/27
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