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Bright-Dark Future of India | Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Gill Among Others To Be Torchbearers

image-lk3zlacePant, Gill and Sundar were instrumental in India's BGT win in 2021 (Twitter)

With curtains gradually closing in on the glorious careers of stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and more - Indian cricket is bound to find itself at a crossroads, sooner or later. However, amidst an inevitable transition, a crop of new players has emerged, packed with much potential and desire to leave their mark at the top level.

While youngsters like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh have already proven their mettle, there’s still a pantheon of emerging stars knocking at the selection doors out there. With a Test-winning hundred in West Indies on debut, Yashasvi Jaiswal might well have become the latest entrant to join India’s ever-expanding talent pool.

Here at OneCricket, we probe into Indian cricket’s present scenario, what lies ahead, and a possibility of a complete transition in the coming years.


Team India's Present Scenario

Be it important bilateral affairs or ICC tournaments, the Indian team management has been fielding a balanced combination of experienced stars and emerging youngsters. However, there’s another established set-up which is currently running in tandem on the side.

While first-choice seniors and a handful of youngsters constitute the main Indian team for important tours, a second-choice squad featuring mostly debutants and inexperienced stars accompany either Hardik Pandya or Shikhar Dhawan for assignments that hold slightly lesser importance. Such matches often serve as a dress rehearsal for young talents before making their way to the top level.

image-lk3zoroxArshdeep Singh filled in for Jasprit Bumrah at the 2022 T20 WC (Twitter)

Over the past few years, players like Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill have already proven themselves as significant match-winners, and have time-and-again solidified their status in the Indian team. On the other hand, often sidelines cricketers like Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh and Prithvi Shaw have shown glimpses of their immense talent at the international arena.


What Lies Ahead?

The future of Indian cricket rests on the shoulders of the up-and-coming generation of players. At this very moment, a horde of emerging cricketers are fighting out for an international call-up with impressive runs in domestic and IPL cricket.

For starters, Umran Malik continues to impress one-and-all with his raw pace. Tilak Verma, a dynamic 20-year-old batter, often digs his side out of trouble, be it Hyderabad in domestic cricket or Mumbai Indians in IPL.

Sarfaraz Khan averages a booming 76 in first-class cricket, and it jumps to over a 100 in recent Ranji Trophy seasons. Ruturaj Gaikwad has emerged as a maverick of Maharashtra’s List A batting, and a backbone of CSK’s top-order.

image-lk3zo3hzRuturaj Gaikwad in action for CSK in IPL 2023 (IPLT20.COM)

Shivam Mavi and Avesh Khan, having played a handful of international games before, are yearning for a callback with their thunderous pace and wicket-taking abilities at the domestic level.

Rinku Singh has been rescuing Kolkata Knight Riders from the blushes in IPL for a couple of seasons, while another IPL hero Yashasvi Jaiswal just graduated into India’s Test setup with a scintillating ton in West Indies.

image-lk3zn2dtYashasvi Jaiswal celebrates maiden Test ton on debut (Twitter)

These players, along with others in the mix, have the opportunity to not only cement their places in the national team but also shape up the future of Indian cricket altogether.


Are We Ready For A Transition Yet?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been making endless efforts in providing deserving talented youngsters the appropriate platforms to showcase their grit and skill. As we speak, a bunch of emerging stars were selected to represent Team India at the 2023 Asian Games in China.

The young team will be commanded by Ruturaj Gaikwad, at a time when first-choice players will be aiming to conquer the 2023 World Cup at home.

Amidst all developmental programs, international debuts and domestic tournaments; the success of this impending transition will vastly evolve around the mentorship from active senior members of the team.

Guidance from players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin among others stands crucial in navigating this inevitable generational shift within the Indian team. After all, their predecessors like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly pretty much did the same in securing Team India’s subsequent legacy post their retirements.