The world’s largest sporting events are renowned for shining the spotlight on the superstars that dominate the game, but they also serve as a platform to dig up the brightest fresh talent in sport.
There are a couple of players who entered the ICC WC as comparatively unknowns but left the fans and experts in amazement at their potential and skills by the end of the tournament.
Think, Mohammad Amir and Shakib al-Hasan at the 2009 WC, Virat Kohli at the 2012 editions, and Wanindu Hasaranga in 2022.
The following is Winbaji’s list of 5 young talents who could light up the 2024 edition of the tournament.
India – Yashasvi Jaiswal
Possibly India’s brightest young cricket player in the past year, Jaiswal has proven himself in the shortest and longest formats of the game. While his rags-to-riches story may have charmed him to his fans, it’s his batting and daring approach towards the game that has placed him in the spotlight.
Within a year of making his debut in the T20 international, Jasiwal has scored upwards of 500 runs in 17 matches at a brilliant average of 33.4 and an elevated strike rate of 161. He has also managed to score a T20I century to go with his 4 half-centuries.
The top-order batter is sure to open the innings for India with his skilled captain Rohit Sharma. And if India are to win a 2 T20 title that has avoided them in 17 years, a decent portion of their runs may come off Jaiswal’s bat.
Pakistan – Saim Ayub
In a nation renowned for pushing young cricketers at the deep end, Saim’s introduction to international cricket came comparatively late. The left-handed batter played his initial T20I at the age of 21 the previous year but has not been able to cement his feet in the playing XI. This has partly been down to his form, and also because of Pakistan’s reluctance to break the opening batters’ bond between Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.
Saim heads into the T20 WC with tons of experience playing in the West Indies, where he won the 2023 T20 Caribbean Premier League with his franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors. Saim’s 52 was the greatest individual score in the final and he concluded the season on the batting charts.
While the opener has not been able to duplicate his success for his nation, Saim can hit untraditional major shots. He also offers a probable left-right opening merger along with the captain Babar. Most of all, his experience of playing in the nation could make him a splendid performer for the 2009 champions.
England – Will Jacks
Jacks made his international entrance in 2022 for England as an off-spinner but goes into the WC better renowned for his big-hitting abilities, thanks to his latest success with the bat in the IPL.
The all-rounder averaged 33 at a magnificent strike rate of 175 in his 8 matches with RCB. then he followed it up with 57 runs in 2 matches in Engald’s newest T20 series against Pakistan.
Coming in to bat at the critical one-down spot, Jacks will offer England stability and power-hitting alternatives as they look to win a record 3 T20 WC.
Sri Lanka – Matheesha Pathirana
Pathirana in 18 international outings has 28 wickets for Sri Lanka but his latest performance at the IPL has assisted in raising his stocks as well. Besides his 13 wickets in 6 games, it’s his low economy rate, strike rate, and average that made him a brilliant performer. This young gun could be Sri Lanka’s primary weapon with the ball.
Bangladesh – Rishab Hossain
Hossain is not so renowned in the international cricket world but has quietly built a name as a miserly leg-spinning all-rounder who can get his side over the line with the bat as well.
The tall leggie in his 17 T20s has taken 15 wickets, but at an economy rate of 7, which makes him a space commodity in the major-hitting format of T20s.
This player from Rangpur in northwestern Bangladesh could find tons of help on the slow pitches in the Caribbean and might end up plotting Bangaldesh’s path to the knockout stages of the tournament.
