There have been a lot of young talents unearthed this year, as new players come in and adapt to the ever-changing game of cricket. The drastic change in the way the players have approached the game has suited well to the youngsters who have set out to make their mark in the sport. A lot of players have resurfaced or come in as debutants, but this was the year of a select few of those players, who with their performances so far have cemented their spot in their respective teams.
India’s Tilak Varma jumps in air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20I match between South Africa and India at the Centurion Park in Centurion on Wednesday. (AP Photo)
Tilak Varma ended his year by adding 306 runs to his T20I career, scoring two centuries at the international stage in South Africa, wreaking havoc with his teammate Sanju Samson. Tilak Varma showed himself to be a force to reckon with in the IPL last year and earned his call-up to don the blue, but an injury put his career on hiatus as he missed out on the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka tours. However, he later made a comeback to the side when the Men in Blue reached the South African shores. His batting produced an important cameo in the first T20I, and then he scored back-to-back centuries in the last two matches of the series, registering his career-best score of 120* (47). This propelled his strike rate to 187.73, which was the highest of the year by an Indian batsman in T20Is.
Jacob Bethell
England’s Jacob Bethell bats during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. (AP)
Another youngster that arrived at the international cricketing stage this year was Jacob Bethell, who left an impact the second he arrived. He would want to forget his debut, as Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa got the better of him after he scored just two runs. However, what followed that match was a storm in the form of Jacob Bethell. He took on the very bowler who rattled his stumps in the first T20I, scoring 20 runs off Zampa’s over. He went on to score a cracking 44 off 24 balls, an innings which included four fours and three sixes, as England chased down 194 in 20 overs that night.
While he has not had the best time out in the middle in ODIs, adding 164 runs to his tally in 7 innings, he has made a mark in the only Test series he has played so far, which was against New Zealand. In the three Test matches, he scored three half-centuries with the highest being 96 in Wellington. He holds a batting average above 50 in Tests and T20Is.
Sufiyan Muqeem
Sufiyan Muqeem registers maiden fifer to help Pakistan restrict Zimbabwe to 57 in the 2nd T20I (AP)
The 25-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Pakistan made his debut in October this year, and as the matches progressed, it became increasingly clear why Sufiyan Muqeem was called up. He made his international debut at the Asian Games, where he picked up four wickets in three matches. His breakout game came against Zimbabwe, as the young spinner crippled the host’s batting line-up, picking up his career’s maiden five-wicket haul in just seven matches.
This performance gave him a call-up for the ODI series against South Africa, and he made his ODI debut in the third match. While he has played just one ODI so far, he made sure to make his name known in the cricketing world, as he registered four wickets in eight overs, conceding 52 runs.
Saim Ayub
Pakistan’s Saim Ayub in action during the second ODI cricket match between Zimbabwe and Pakistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wonder Mashura)
The 22-year-old made his debut in early 2023 after his expeditions in T20 leagues around the world. His time with Peshawar Zalmi proved to be the highlight of his franchise cricket career, as it gave him a call-up to the international side for T20Is. He had a shaky start to his international career, not being able to cross the 20-run mark on all but two occasions.
He was called up to play for the ODI side this year, and that proved to be the breakthrough for the young batsman, as he is now the in-form batsman for the team. He has scored three centuries in his nine outings in the middle, orchestrating two in their tour to South Africa. He has scored 515 runs in ODIs after making his debut in the format only in November, with three centuries to his name.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Kumar Reddy in action during the 2nd India vs Bangladesh in Delhi. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Nitish Kumar Reddy made his mark in the cricket scene in the IPL, as his all-round performance for SunRisers Hyderabad aided the team immensely to reach the finals. His run of 303 runs in the tournament, with the highest score of 76*, earned him a call-up to the Indian T20 side when Bangladesh toured India. His 90 runs in three matches further gave him a chance to represent India in the longest format in Australia.
Consistently scoring in the 40s, Nitish Kumar failed to convert his scores into a half-century, until the Boxing Day Test. Not only did he convert his innings into a 50, but he also showed his grit by propelling himself to a maiden international century. He is currently the highest run scorer for India in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy with 293 runs in six innings.
Gus Atkinson
England bowler Gus Atkinson celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. (AP)
Making his international debut a month before the World Cup last year, Gus Atkinson proved to be a lethal bowler and entered the World Cup squad as a wild card, and even picked up four wickets in the tournament against South Africa and Pakistan. This helped him make his way into the Test squad that would face India in January 2024, but he only got his debut later on in July against West Indies. There was then no looking back for the 26-year-old.
His pace helped him scalp 22 wickets in the three-match series against West Indies, and he would back his performance time and time again. In 21 Test innings since July, Atkinson has gotten 52 wickets, with three five-wicket hauls. But that’s not it, he even went on to score 118 against Sri Lanka in Lord’s.
The youngsters have shone immensely this year, and their performances in a short time prove that they are set to break multiple records in the coming years.
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