Cricketers like Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan, or AB de Villiers have dominated the sport since the last decade. These cricketers will not be able to maintain their place in world cricket for long since they are over the age of 30. In other words, the old must make way for the new. There are currently some promising young cricketers who have the potential to excel in international cricket in the near future. Some of them have already solidified their position in the world of cricket. Here, we have picked the potential players who could rule world cricket this decade.
Young players who have the capability to rule world cricket
1) Shubman Gill
India's Shubman Gill is one of the most promising young star cricketers in the world right now. In the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, he scored 372 runs at an average of 124 and was named Player of the Series. In the semifinals, he made an unbeaten 102 * against arch-rivals Pakistan. After that innings, Shubman Gill floated in praise by the former cricketers. He has already made his Test debut for India in both Test and ODI formats. Besides, Gill has been playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL since 2018.
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2) Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Afghanistan's right-handed off-spinner Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman is the first international cricketer born in the twenty-first century. Mujeeb is also the youngest player in ODI history to take five wickets. In T20 cricket, he has established himself as a reliable spinner. As a result, he is playing regular franchise leagues in different parts of the world. There is no doubt that Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman will be the future leader of the Afghan national side.
3) Akbar Ali
Akbar Ali was the captain of the Bangladesh team that won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020. Thanks to his unbeaten knock, Bangladesh beat hot favorite India by 3 wickets in the final and won their first youth world cup title. Everyone praised wicket-keeper batsman Akbar Ali's leadership in that tournament. Many people believe that Bangladesh will win the World Cup for the first time under his captaincy.
4) Avishka Fernando
Avishka Fernando, a young Sri Lankan top-order batsman, has already represented his country in international cricket. Fernando has the most hundreds (4) and runs (1369) for Sri Lanka in the Youth ODI format. He also has two hundreds against the West Indies in international cricket. This potential opener can lead Lankan cricket this decade.
5) Will Pucovski
Will Pucovski made his Test debut against India in 2021 after a stellar domestic performance in Australian domestic cricket. He was named the best player of the tournament in the 2016-2017 season after scoring a tournament-record 650 runs in the Under-19 National Championship. At such a young age, Will Pucovski had to leave the field several times due to injury. Pucovski could be Australia's best weapon of the decade if he avoids injury.
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6) Shaheen Afridi
Tall young fast bowler Shaheen Afridi caught everyone's eye by taking the most 12 wickets for Pakistan in the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Shaheen Afridi has been playing regularly in the international arena since making his debut for the Pakistan national team in the same year. Afridi has already over 100 international wickets to his name. This right-arm medium pacer can lead Pakistan's bowling attack this decade if he can maintain consistency.
7) Tom Banton
England's young emerging wicket-keeper-batsman, Tom Banton made his international debut in 2019 after a stellar domestic success. Since then he regularly plays for the England national team in the ODI and T20 formats. According to cricket experts, Tom Banton will be a real asset for the England national team this decade.
8) Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Afghani wicket-keeper batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in 2019 after a stellar performance at the aged-level cricket. In January 2021, Gurbaz became the first Afghani cricketer to score an ODI century on debut. Gurbaz has become a popular player in T20 franchise leagues around the world, thanks to his batting ability. There is no doubt that he will become a superstar Afghani cricketer.
9) Haider Ali
Haider Ali was the vice-captain of the Pakistan team in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup. This aggressive-minded batsman caught the eye of the selectors within a short period of time and made his international debut against England in September 2020. He plays for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL. Haider Ali has the potential to become one of the best limited-overs batsmen of this decade.
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10) Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw captained India to win the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup. Former Indian great Sachin Tendulkar lauded Prithvi's batting ability, therefore it didn't take long for this talented cricketer to make his international debut. In October 2018, he played his first Test against the Windies and scored a century. Prithvi Shaw has the potential to be one of India's best Test batsmen this decade if he can maintain his consistency.
Bottom Line
Genuine excellence and a tremendous amount of dedication are required to rise to the level of being regarded as leading players in a particular generation. However, the truth is that great cricketers are rarely born. So, who will be the flag bearer among the young generation? Without a doubt, the players listed above have the potential to rule world cricket this decade.
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