With the abundant talent in Indian cricket, it is not always possible that each player makes to the highest level. At times, there are players who get overlooked despite producing some of the best performances in domestic cricket. With only limited spots up for grabs, there have been times when quality players often fail to progress to the senior level. However, consistency is often the key for such players to make it to the national side.
Here’s a look at 5 players who might get an India call-up soon:
1. Devdutt Paddikal
The young Karnataka opener, Devdutt Paddikal has been piling on runs in the limited-overs cricket. The 19-year old was the highest run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2019. The Southpaw registered 609 runs at an average of 67.66 including two hundred and a five half-centuries. He was a key performer in Karnataka’s winning campaign. It is almost certain for Devdutt to soon get an India call-up, especially in the ODIs.
2. Priyank Panchal
Priyank Panchal has been a consistent run-scorer for Gujarat in the recent years in Ranji Trophy. The 30-year old opener specializes in the red-ball format while continues to produce match-winning performances for his state team. In 2016-17, Panchal top-scored in the illustrious tournament with over 1300 runs in merely 17 innings. Even in the last Ranji Trophy season, Panchal ended with most runs for Gujarat, with 898 runs in nine matches. While Panchal hasn’t received an India call-up till now, the right-handed batsman has been in the fray for the last two years.
3. Shreyas Gopal
The young leg-spinner from Karnataka, Shreyas Gopal has escalated up the ranks to be counted as one of the best leggies in the country. Gopal was one of the leading wicket-takers in IPL 2019 with 20 wickets in just 14 games. The 26-year old continued his rich being form even in the domestic cricket for Karnataka. He picked 13 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy while ended up with 19 scalps in the T20 tournament. Gopal has also proved his worth with the bat in hand and can be a good lower-order option for India in the upcoming few years.
4. Surya Kumar Yadav
The prolific run-scorer for Mumbai’s domestic team for quite many years, Surya Kumar Yadav has still not got his overdue India call-up. Surya is one of the most consistent players for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He’s a solid T20 batsman who plays in the middle-order. In IPL 2019, Yadav was the second-highest run-scorer for MI. He has the numbers to support his cause and might soon get a chance to represent India in the T20 format soon.
5. Rajneesh Gurbani
Rajneesh Gurbani is one of the rising medium pace bowlers in India. Being a predominantly swing bowler, Gurbani has been a crucial member in Vidarbha’s two Ranji Trophy-winning campaigns. He was the leading wicket-taker in 2017/18 season for his state team. While India is blessed to have an unprecedented pace attack, Gurbani will have to keep stacking up performances to make it to the national team in the Test format.
