Team India recently fielded as many as three debutants in the first ODI against South Africa in Lucknow. The management was able to do this because most of India’s best white-ball players are in Australia for the ICC T20 World Cup.
Getting a place in the Indian team in any format, even a second-string side, is one of the most difficult tasks for a player because of the high level of competition among players for every single spot in the eleven.
This year, 2022, 5 cricketers made their ODI debuts for India.
Here are they and how they have performed in the chances given so far:
Venkatesh Iyer
With Hardik Pandya out injured, all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer got a place in India’s white-ball sides after his blockbuster second half of IPL 2021 with KKR. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder made his T20I debut in November last year, and he made his ODI debut in January this year in South Africa.
In 2 ODIs, Venkatesh scored 24 runs at a strike rate of 60 and went wicketless in 5 overs across the two matches.
Venkatesh fell out from the national selectors’ radar after a poor IPL 2022 season while Hardik Pandya returned with a bang. Given that there is no real competitor or back-up of Pandya yet in the seam-bowling all-rounder’s capacity, 27-year-old Venkatesh could still hope for an India comeback, but for that, he will have to put up consistent performances in domestic cricket and crucially in the IPL.
Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda has been a sensation this year. He made his India debut in both T20Is and ODIs in February and is now in the T20 World Cup squad as well.
Hooda has played 8 ODIs so far and has scored 141 runs in 6 knocks at a decent strike rate of 85 with the highest score of 33. Hooda has jumped the ranks also because he offers a part-time off-spin bowling option, with which he’s taken 3 ODI wickets in the 150 deliveries he’s sent down.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
One of the brightest young talents in the country, Ruturaj Gaikwad made his ODI debut against South Africa in Lucknow. Gaikwad didn’t do well as he scored only 19 runs off 42 balls in a run-chase of 250, which India lost by only 10 runs. Gaikwad was criticised for his slow knock.
Avesh Khan
Omitted from the squad for the T20 World Cup, Avesh Khan made his ODI debut vs SA in Lucknow. In a rain-curtailed 40-over match, Avesh had a rather forgettable outing as he was smashed for 51 runs in his 8 overs with Miller and Klassen plundering runs off him in the slog overs.
Avesh also was trolled for his poor mistimes and mis-slogs with the bat as he tried to slog Rabada in the penultimate over of India’s chase with Sanju Samson stranded on the non-striker’s end. He was dismissed for 3 runs off 6 balls but could have and should have been smarter with his shot selection.
Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi, who will fly out to Australia as part of the reserves, also made his debut in ODIs vs South Africa. The 22-year-old leg-spinner was expensive – leaking 69 runs in 8 overs but also took the big wicket of Quinton de Kock. With the bat, Bishnoi cracked a four to Rabada, albeit it was an outside edge, which kept India’s hopes alive.
