5 talented young India cricketers yet to make their international debuts

India is one of those nations that is crazy about cricket. Almost every youngster in the country, at some point or other, dreams of taking up a sport as a career and representing the country at the highest level. However, the competition for the same is so intense that there are a handful of people who make it through.

At the domestic level as well, there have been many youngsters who have been scoring tons of runs or picking bagful of wickets. But, given the amount of competition, they haven’t been fortunate yet to wear the India colours at the highest level. Yet, some of these guys are knocking the doors of the selectors consistently and could be making their debut soon.

1. Abhimanyu Easwaran

In the last few years, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been one of the most consistent performers in domestic cricket. Born in Uttar Pradesh, he represents West Bengal at the domestic level and opens the innings for them. He’s been around in the first-class circuit since 2013.

In the 47 first-class games that he has played thus far, the 23-year-old has accumulated 3809 runs thus far at an average of 50.78. He has already got 12 centuries and 16 half-centuries in the format. His highest score is 223 and his Test debut could be just around the corner.

Moreover, Easwaran has performed brilliantly in List A cricket as well. In 49 games, he scored 2365 runs at an average of 50.31. However, the strike rate is an aspect he has got to work on and should get better. If he can up his T20 game as well, he could get a big IPL contract as well.

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Maharashtra’s Ruturaj Gaikwad is still in the early days of his career. While he has broken into the Chennai Super Kings squad on the back of his heroics in domestic cricket, he is yet to get a chance to play an IPL game. Gaikwad isn’t someone who relies on big-hitting.

Rather, he looks to play the gaps and loves staying unbeaten. While he has just played a limited amount of first-class games, Ruturaj Gaikwad is already a beast in the format. In 38 innings so far, he scored 2055 runs at a terrific average of 57.08.

His strike rate, which is slightly over 100, is also exceptional for the format. He is yet to establish himself as the Test and T20 cricketer. However, if he continues to bring up similar performances, he could well be an integral part of the India ODI team in the future.

3. Srikar Bharat

MS Dhoni is no more a part of the Test set-up and is likely to retire from the other two formats as well quite soon. This has opened up the slot in the Indian team for the man behind the stumps. At the moment, Rishabh Pant seems to be the preferred person for the job.

However, there are quite a few other names as well up for consideration. Amongst the emerging wicketkeepers, Srikar Bharat is definitely a name that stands out. Bharat is usually really good behind the stumps and has got good hands.

Moreover, his record as a batsman is also quite good at the domestic level. In 66 first-class matches, Bharat scored 3826 runs at an average of 38.26. While his numbers in List-A and T20 cricket aren’t the best, Bharat is surely an option India can try out in the Test format.

4. Shreyas Gopal

Shreyas Gopal surely is a familiar name with many of you. With his stint in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals, he has impressed one and all. He is a sharp turner of the cricket ball and has got a smart head as well.

In the IPL, he has managed to deceive some of the best in the business including the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers on multiple occasions. While most of the talks usually revolve only around his batting, he is a great talent with the bat as well.

In 56 first-class games so far, Gopal scored 2431 runs at an average of 35.75 and has even picked up 184 wickets. Given the fact that he adds so much depth to the batting, he will be a great prospect to have in the Indian team. The leg-spinner, with his presence, can give some confidence to the top-order and the middle-order batsmen.

5. Shivam Mavi

At the U19 World Cup 2018 in New Zealand, there were a few youngsters who were making quite a name for themselves. With their heroics, they have helped the team clinch the title back then. One of the most impressive of those was Shivam Mavi.

Mavi, with his express pace, caught everyone’s attention immediately. He regularly clocks 150 kmph and has got good variations as well. On the back of this impressive performance, the Kolkata Knight Riders have picked up for the IPL.

However, he has been slightly unfortunate with his injuries. He played a few games in IPL 2018 before he was injured. The youngster was ruled out of the entire 2019 edition of the tournament. Though, he is only 20-years-old at the moment. If nurtured well, he can be a lethal weapon for India in the future.