3 white-ball specialists who could be future Test match superstars for India
Cricket
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A match-winner for Rajasthan and the Mumbai Indians, Rahul Chahar was India's only shining light in the third T20I against Sri Lanka. His three scalps had somehow kept India's hopes of winning the series alive despite defending a paltry target of 82 in the game.
Rahul Chahar
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Chahar has 69 wickets from just 17 first-class games at an average of 28.62. His best match figures read at a stunning 9/167 which came in a Ranji Trophy game against Goa in 2019. He takes a bit of time every game to settle but once he does, there's no surface where he can't take a wicket in.
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Chahar's variations are subtle and his smooth action can provide him with the longetivity that's crucial in the longest-format. He can play a role for India that perhaps only Rashid Khan is capable of doing in the modern era. An all-format, all-weather leg-spinner could be a luxury worth putting in some diligent effort for.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is mostly known for his consecutive half-centuries in his debut IPL season for Chennai Super Kings, is one leading candidate. The 24-year-old elegant right-hander has played 21 first-class matches for Maharashtra, scoring at an average of 38.54, with four tons and six fifties.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
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Gaikwad has a distinct ability to play circumspect cricket and while maintaining a decent scoring rate. His batting revolves around a nimble off-side game, which depends almost entirely on timing, making him an anomaly among recent IPL successes.
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Often, Pujara's ultra-defensive and Rahane's proactive techniques have become a point of debate in Indian cricket. Gaikwad could be the middle ground between the two, a cool head who can bank on his temperament, nibble off the target, and let the bashers revolving around him be themselves.
Ishan Kishan is the product of the same Under-19 World Cup that thrust Rishabh Pant to the biggest stage. Both prodigies have been significant for their states in all domestic competitions and have been outdoing their performances every year in the IPL ever since.
Ishan Kishan
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Kishan recently became the first player ever to score a half-century on both T20I and ODI debuts. He kicked off the first knock with a four and the latter, with a six, flaunting a fearless attitude that has put him on the frontlines to be a part of India's middle order for the T20 World Cup, perhaps even ahead of Pant.
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Kishan also has a stellar first-class record with over 2,600 runs, including five hundreds and 15 half-centuries. His average of 37.53, coupled with a strike rate of just under 70 epitomizes the threat he could be if given a free rein against the red cherry. The 23-year-old also has a Ranji Trophy double century (273 against Delhi) to his name, still the highest score for a Jharkhand cricketer.