World Cup 2019: 5 Players who can be the breakout star of the tournament

West Indies v New Zealand – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up
West Indies v New Zealand – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up

The 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is just around the corner. 10 of the world's best cricket teams will face each other to win the coveted trophy.

The tournament provides a great platform for young players to perform well and become the superstars of their respective sides.

Over the years we have witnessed the future greats taking the tournament by storm and making a name for themselves.

This list includes players like Sachin Tendulkar, Inzamam Ul Haq, Mark Waugh, Craig McDermott and many others.

Here we take a look at five such young players who can be the breakout star of the upcoming World Cup.


#5 Adam Zampa

Australia v New Zealand - Cricket World Cup Practice Match
Australia v New Zealand - Cricket World Cup Practice Match

The 27-year-old leg spinner from New South Wales burst onto the scene in the 2010 U-19 World Cup.

His impressive performances resulted in his immediate comparisons with the legend Shane Warne. Zampa has an old school technique of tossing the ball above the batman's eyeline. He is quicker through the air and deceives the batsman with the wily dip in his deliveries.

Zampa has taken 60 wickets in his 44 match ODI career. Zampa played a pivotal role when Australia defeated India in India just a few months back as he took 11 wickets in 5 games. He performed brilliantly in the Big Bash League as well last year with 14 wickets in 13 games.

Zampa made his debut three years ago, and he is now into the peak of his career. At 27, the time is just about right for Zampa to up his game a few levels and make the world take notice of him. This tournament is the best time for Zampa to shine and play a crucial role in Australia's World Cup dreams.

#4 Hazrattullah Zazai

Hazrattullah Zazai is one of the most dangerous openers of the tournament.
Hazrattullah Zazai is one of the most dangerous openers of the tournament.

The left-handed opener from Afghanistan can single-handedly destroy the opposition within the span of an hour on his day. The 21-year-old southpaw came into the limelight when he hammered 162* off 62 deliveries in a T20 international against Ireland earlier this year. He hit a world record 16 sixes in that innings.

He had an astounding Afghanistan Premier League where he was the second highest run getter with 322 runs to his name at an astonishing strike rate of 193. In a match against Balkh Legends, he smashed six sixes in an over and scored a 12 ball fifty to equal the fastest fifty record with Yuvraj Singh.

Zazai can provide the same start as McCullum did for New Zealand in the last edition of the tournament. With Shehzad taking the more responsible role now, expect Zazai to come all guns blazing and make a name for himself in the tournament.

#3 Aiden Markram

Markram will be eager to show the world what he can do and inspire his team to a maiden World Cup glory
Markram will be eager to show the world what he can do and inspire his team to a maiden World Cup glory

Aiden Markram ended the long wait for South Africa for a world title when he lead his team to lift the U-19 World Cup 2014 trophy. Markram was also the leading run getter for his team. He is a flamboyant stroke maker and is a joy to watch when in full flow.

He has played just 18 ODI's till now, and has shown glimpses of his true potential. He has a solid compact technique and is primarily an off-side player.

He has just two fifties to his name in his young ODI career, but we might see a few big ones in the upcoming month and a half. He already has four test centuries to his name and is being touted as the next big thing of South African cricket.

Markram will be eager to show the world what he can do and inspire his team to a maiden World Cup glory.

#2 KL Rahul

KL Rahul will be looking to solve No.4 issues for India
KL Rahul will be looking to solve No.4 issues for India

KL Rahul has been playing international cricket for some time now, and we have always talked about how good he can be.

World Cup provides the perfect opportunity for KL Rahul to finally repay the faith which is invested in him by the team management and the selectors.

We all know what potential KL Rahul has got, but he is just not able to string together consistent performances.

Rahul has been amongst the leading run-scorers in IPL for the past two seasons and has eight international centuries to his name till now.

The need of the hour for Indian cricket has been that coveted no. 4 spot for some time now and if KL Rahul can fulfill that role, then India might have their batting issues completely done and dusted.

KL Rahul must believe that this can be his tournament and if the 27-year-old Karnataka lad play to his true potential, we will surely witness some breathtaking innings from him.

#1 Shai Hope

Shai Hope and John Campbell made a world record 365 run opening partnership against Ireland recently
Shai Hope and John Campbell made a world record 365 run opening partnership against Ireland recently

Shai Hope is the next big thing in West Indian cricket. In the words of Jason Holder, Shai Hope can be one of the best ODI players to ever play for them.

But for that to happen, the 25-year-old Barbados cricketer has to maintain the level of consistency he has shown in recent months and lead the West Indian batting line-up in the tournament.

With an average of almost 50 in ODI cricket, Shai Hope has been the mainstay for the West Indian batting over the last few years.

Just like any talented youngster, the word potential has been struck with him. Hope bats with a certain level of calmness and maturity in his game, he has a strong technique and wide arrays of shots.

No one can forget that world-class performance by Hope in the Headingley Test where he scored century in both the innings and lead his team to a historic win.

West Indies will be desperate to perform well in the World Cup and put aside the disappointments of the previous editions and for that to happen, Shai Hope must lead the way for his team.

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Edited by Alan John