Indian cricket has long been celebrated for its stars on the international stage, but beyond the spotlight lies a group of young cricketers whose performances have consistently strengthened the game at the domestic and developmental levels. Through discipline, resilience, and sustained excellence, these players have built impressive records, often away from public attention. Their journeys reflect the depth of talent within India’s cricketing structure and underline the importance of performance over popularity. This feature highlights five such young cricketers whose achievements continue to shape the future of Indian cricket.

The following cricketers have consistently delivered strong performances across domestic and international platforms, building impressive records through discipline, resilience, and sustained excellence, often away from the limelight.

Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan is a left-handed top-order batsman from Tamil Nadu who has steadily built a reputation as one of India’s most reliable young batters. A product of the Tamil Nadu domestic system, he impressed early in age-group cricket and carried that consistency into senior domestic tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Known for his calm temperament and strong technique, Sudharsan gained wider recognition through impactful performances in high-pressure matches, including major IPL games and finals. His ability to anchor an innings as well as accelerate when needed has marked him as a promising all-format prospect for Indian cricket.

Yash Dhull

Yash Dhull is a right-handed batsman from Delhi who rose to prominence after captaining India to victory in the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. A technically sound top-order player, Dhull has been regarded as a mature cricketer from a young age, known for his leadership skills and composure under pressure. Following his U-19 success, he transitioned into domestic cricket, where he continues to work on establishing himself at the senior level. His journey reflects the path of a disciplined batsman focused on long-term growth rather than early fame.

Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma is a left-handed middle-order batsman from Hyderabad who has emerged as one of India’s most promising young players in limited-overs cricket. He gained attention through consistent domestic performances before making an impact in the IPL and subsequently earning opportunities at the international level. Known for his fearless yet controlled batting style, Tilak is particularly effective against both spin and pace. His adaptability, temperament, and ability to perform in pressure situations have made him a strong contender for a long-term role in India’s white-ball teams.

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan is a right-handed batsman from Mumbai who has dominated India’s domestic cricket circuit with exceptional consistency. After early exposure to professional cricket at a young age, Sarfaraz faced setbacks but rebuilt his career through remarkable performances in the Ranji Trophy, where he recorded some of the highest batting averages in recent years. Known for his hunger for big scores and strong work ethic, he has repeatedly delivered match-winning innings at the domestic level. His career is often cited as an example of perseverance and performance-driven progression in Indian cricket.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran is a technically sound opening batsman who has been a pillar of consistency in India’s domestic cricket for several seasons. Representing Bengal, he has amassed runs across formats and earned recognition as a dependable long-format player. Easwaran has also captained India A and delivered strong performances in overseas conditions, highlighting his temperament and leadership qualities. Known for patience, discipline, and classical batting technique, he continues to be viewed as a strong contender for India’s Test setup.

Coventry pulled further clear of the chasing pack in the Championship on Friday as Frank Lampard’s side beat Swansea 1-0 to open up an eight-point lead at the top.

Coventry pulled further clear of the chasing pack in the Championship on Friday as Frank Lampard’s side beat Swansea 1-0 to open up an eight-point lead at the top. The Sky Blues, seeking to end a 25-year wait for Premier League football, stretched their lead over Middlesbrough and have a 13-point cushion over third-placed Ipswich. Lampard admitted his free-scoring side were far from their best but they did enough for the three points thanks to Ephron Mason-Clark’s emphatic finish just before half-time.

Liam Cullen and Melker Widell both wasted good chances to equalise in the closing stages, but Coventry held on for an eighth consecutive home win.

“Over the course of the season there are games you play where everything goes in and others where you have chances and it doesn’t quite drop or go in,” said former Chelsea boss Lampard.

“We had chances to get that second goal but it didn’t quite fall. We were not as good today as we usually are off the ball.”

Middlesbrough’s promotion push stumbled in a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn.

After winning Kim Hellberg’s first four games in charge, they have failed to score in their last two after a 2-0 defeat at Bristol City last time out.

“We have had a lot of good performances over the last period of time, but I think this result was quite fair because we didn’t deserve anything more than a draw,” said Hellberg.

Ipswich failed to apply pressure to the top two after being held 0-0 at Millwall.

Wrexham came from 3-1 down to beat Sheffield United 5-3 in the game of the day.

Backed by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Welsh side are aiming for a fourth consecutive promotion.

A double from Kieffer Moore helped snap a five-game winless run to lift Wrexham up to 13th and within five points of the play-off places.

Hull and Preston remain in the play-off places despite being held to draws away at Sheffield Wednesday and Hull respectively.

Bristol City were the only other side in the top six other than Coventry to win as a 2-1 victory at West Brom piled more pressure on former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason.

Leicester slipped to 14th after a 2-1 home defeat to Watford in a further blow to their chances of bouncing straight back to the top flight.

Source: NDTV

“You suddenly become a point of discussion in mainstream news, and that’s what you want,” Chopra said.

Indian veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have opted to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season. The former blitzed with a century in the opening game for Mumbai in Jaipur against Sikkim, and later scored a ton at the Centre of Excellence against Andhra Pradesh in the first round and scored 61-ball 77 against Gujarat in the 2nd. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra, on his YouTube channel, said the presence of Rohit and Kohli has elevated the playing levels of the competition.

Rohit and Kohli have scored runs, and they had to score runs. One scored in Jaipur and the other in the COE (Centre of Excellence). One demolished Sikkim and the other made Andhra’s rail, which was nice to see. Suddenly, domestic cricket became a part of the conversation,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma go, they are going to score a lot of runs. It’s not like they were going to struggle, and it’s not like they won’t be selected if they don’t score runs here, but the moment they go, the level gets elevated. You suddenly become a point of discussion in mainstream news, and that’s what you want,” he added.

However, Chopra also questioned the value of runs that are being scored at the domestic level. “Everyone is scoring hundreds. 400 is being chased somewhere and 560-plus is being scored somewhere else. It’s a serious question. What about the standard? So many runs have been scored. Do you actually value the runs then? If 550-plus runs are being scored and 300 runs are being chased in 30 overs, that’s not good,” he said.

“Actually, it’s a poor reflection. It happened after the Lodha committee, when so many states were added. Teams were added, but the infrastructure and the road from bottom to top weren’t prepared. It was a flawed system. The gap is phenomenal,” Chopra observed.

Source: The Indian Express