The 2023 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is set to take place in India and also will feature an exciting showdown among the world’s best cricketing nations. This prestigious event will surely see some intense battles across several limited-overs cricket formats as teams will contest for the coveted trophy. Iconic stadiums, fervent fans, and gripping matches will characterize the event.
The tournament is expected to witness outstanding batting displays along with some remarkable bowling performances as well as breathtaking fielding efforts which will be there with the fans for a long time now. Apart from being host nation India are anticipated to deliver stellar performances, against the cricketing like Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand are expected to showcase their prowess. Hence, performances on such a grand stage can do wonders for any youngster as the stakes in these matches are a lot higher, and any match-winning performances are remembered for a long;
Hence based on this let us look at three players who can make a mark during their maiden World Cup campaign;
1. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is one of the most promising youngsters who is currently playing the international cricket. Gill rose to prominence during the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup when he performed admirably as Prithvi Shaw’s vice-captain, consistently batting at No. 3. During that tournament, he amassed an impressive 418 runs at an outstanding average of 104.50, significantly contributing to India’s historic fourth U19 World Cup victory.
After that, India’s prolific batter has not looked back. The 23-year-old has been in sublime form in the last year or so, in fact the prolific batter has also scored century in all formats as well as double century in ODI format. In the 29 ODI matches that Gill has played, he has managed to score 1514 runs with an average of 63.08 including four centuries and seven half centuries. The upcoming ODI World Cup will be certainly a great platform for the young dynamic batter.
2. Mohammad Rizwan
For years, Mohammad Rizwan‘s international cricket career seemed like a distant dream, despite his consistent domestic performances. He made his international return in January 2019 after a two-year hiatus and was frequently discussed. Often seen as competition for Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Rizwan showcased his stability and reliability at the top of the order, turning a weakness into a strength for Pakistan. As he enters the prime of his career, Rizwan is now a valuable asset for Pakistan ahead of the 2021 World T20.
The upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 will serve as one of the major training ground for the wicketkeeper batter to announce himself on the grand stage of all.
3.Travis Head
Travis Head, a promising and aggressive left-handed batsman, was identified as a potential star from a young age. He received his maiden call-up to the Australian squad at just 22 years old, initially for a series of T20Is against India in early 2016. It was in the white-ball format that he first made his mark before transitioning to Test cricket after his debut in 2018. Be it building partnership or taking attack to opposition, he has been the go to man for the Australian team.
In the last couple of year or so the squash buckling left hand batter has shown great improvement in batting throughout the format and would be certainly one to look out for in the marquee tournament.