New faces to look up to in the Indian squad for Australia
Indian Premier League 2020 season has been the best gift that anyone could've expected from 2020. But like all beautiful things, it is coming to an end and it will on November 10. But Indian cricket fans will have something really big to look up to in India's tour of Australia which begins on November 27.
The Bharat Army takes a look at five young IPL heroes who have made a reputation in IPL 2020 and will feature in India vs Australia tour down under:
5. Prithvi Shaw:
So much has been said. So much will be said. Prithvi Shaw has been one of the highly anticipated newbies in Indian cricket. And it is hard to believe that he still is just 20-years old. The Mumbai based batsman has been who led the India U19's to World Cup victory in 2018 has been put on a pedestal high enough for any 20-year old. Some even expecting him to follow the tracks of the God of Cricket- Sachin Tendulkar!
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This year in the IPL he got off to a good start with over 170 runs in the first five games. His performance has since then been on a low as Delhi Capitals have also struggled to stay on top of the table. In the little time he has featured in the India colours, Prithvi has shown a remarkable future for himself and Indian cricket. In four test matches, he already has a century and two half-centuries to his name.
He was ruled out of the Indian cricket team last time they travelled to Australia because of an unfortunate injury that he suffered from the very beginning of the tour while fielding. He has been given an opportunity in the Test squad and will be looking to put all the hype around him in inverted commas.
4. Washington Sundar:
The 21-year old already looks like a veteran in IPL. He has played four years in the IPL T20 but has emerged as a key player in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad. Sundar has earned a reputation for being a powerplay bowler and being able to stop the opposition from scoring runs at their will. The all-rounder has an economy of 6.83 in his IPL career which is highlights how successful he has been in doing so.
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He has played 22 T20Is for India and has taken 19 wickets. Although Sundar with the bat hasn't reached his max potential in the Indian colours. He has been included in the T20I squad for India against Australia. It will be interesting to see how Kohli who captains Sundar at RCB as well utilizes his skills down under.
3. Sanju Samson:
One of the four wicket-keeping prospects that the Indian team is taking for the big Australian summer, Samson has stepped up on more than one occasion this IPL for Rajasthan Royals. Like he usually does in the world's toughest T20 league. The 25-year old has scored 326 runs in 12 games for the Royals in IPL 2020. As a result, he has been included in the T20 squad.
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There is still a question on him on who is going to stand behind the stumps, as KL Rahul was India's first-choice keeper before the pandemic halted everything. Samson has so far only played 4 T20I for India and with the tour down under being the beginning of the post-MS Dhoni era, the Kerela-based keeper-batsman will be looking to make the most of his time in the blue.
2. Varun Chakravarthy:
Inarguably the most talked-about inclusion in the upcoming tour was that of 29-year old KKR mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy. The man with the story that melts the heart of every single Indian cricket fan. For someone who gave up the dream to become a cricketer at the age of 16 and then gave up his job as an architect at 24 to make a comeback in cricket, an India call is the cherry on top of the cake.
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Chakravarthy has been making the rounds this season being the highest wicket-taker for KKR this season, with 13 scalps to his name that includes this season's only fifer so far. (5/20)
1. Shubman Gill:
Kolkata Knight Riders haven't been the best team in IPL 2020. However, one of the key players to look out for in their playing XI has been the 21-year old Shubman Gill. He has scored 378 runs in 12 IPL games and has three half-centuries to his name. The 2018 U19 World Cup star for Team India earned his senior team cap in early 2019, but only featured in two games and hasn't been back in the team since then.
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Gill has been included in the ODI and Test squad which comes in as a huge opportunity for the youngster. It is highly unlikely that he will open even though clouds are hovering over Rohit Sharma's presence in the squad. However, if he does get an opportunity in the playing XI, that should be all for him to give his 100%, given the number of individuals in the queue for the top order.
A lot has been said about him and a lot of fans will be eager for him to justify all that. All things taken into account, this can be the potential jumpstart that Gill requires for his career in the bleed blue jersey.