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

Morocco and neighbouring Algeria were the only teams to have their group-stage tickets sell out, but again on Friday there were empty seats for the host nation’s match against Mali in the near 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat

Moroccan soccer fans, in particular, are being frustrated at the Africa Cup of Nations because many can’t get tickets for their own team’s games.

Morocco and neighbouring Algeria were the only teams to have their group-stage tickets sell out, but again on Friday there were empty seats for the host nation’s match against Mali in the near 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

“I tried to log in to the (ticketing) site early, but unfortunately many people logged in at the same time and I couldn’t get a place. It was completely full,” said Morocco supporter Amin Mazraoui, who was waiting outside the stadium before kickoff.

Another fan named Hicham had the same experience, trying the official ticket portal but finding every game sold out almost as soon as he started looking. He was going to watch the match at home.

The official attendance for Friday’s game was given as 63,844 – more than had attended the opening game and ceremony in the same stadium.

Touts are being blamed for snapping up tickets to the matches they feel are likely to be most popular, sensing an opportunity to sell them on for as much as 10 times what they paid. Reports suggested €50 ($59) tickets were being offered for ₹500 ($590).

“There are people connecting with 10 computers, maybe 15 computers connecting at the same time and buying a lot of places, so it’s because of them that we didn’t manage to get any seat,” Mazraoui told The Associated Press.

But all supporters (and journalists) have to provide identification through a local app called Yalla to get access to stadiums, and it seems the additional measures are making it more difficult for touts to transfer ticket-ownership.

One fan who gave his name only as Khalid was lucky and said he paid 100 Moroccan dirhams ($11) for his ticket to the game. Compared to nearby Europe, starting prices are far cheaper, while there’s no comparison to the asking prices for 2026 World Cup games.

On Wednesday, only 16,115 attended Algeria’s game against Sudan in the 22,000-capacity Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, which had been sold-out long before.

Some fans waited outside after hearing reports they’d be let in for free, then rushed the gates in an effort to get in once the game had started. Security at other stadiums has allowed free entrance after kickoff in order to increase attendance.

“They won’t open the gates for Morocco,” Mazraoui said.

The attendance at Congo’s match against Benin in the 18,000-capacity Stade El Barid in Rabat was corrected from 6,000 to 13,000.

Other games have seen little difference, with heavy rain also discouraging local fans from attending.

The 68,000-capacity Grand Stade de Tanger in Tangier felt mostly empty on Tuesday for Senegal’s match against Botswana despite 18,500 being in attendance.

The Confederation of African Football, the organizing authority, did not respond to a request for comment.

Source: The Hindu