New Delhi: Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis, two breakout stars from previous U19 World Cups, are among the few young players hoping to compete in the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
Tilak Varma's second ball in international cricket was despatched calmly over deep square for a maximum. The fearless teenager did it again the next time he faced a pacy Alzarri Joseph.
Tilak is already being considered for a spot in India's World Cup squad after finishing his first T20I series, having scored 173 runs in five matches with a strike rate of over 140 and showcasing immense maturity and composure.
"If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in," former India head coach Ravi Shastri commented on Star Sports as quoted by ICC, adding that he was "very, very impressed" with Tilak.
"If I am looking for a left-hander, I would really look in that direction," Shastri added.
The southpaw, who competed in the 2020 U19 Men's Cricket World Cup, is yet to make his ODI debut, but he could do it as soon as next month when India plays in Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup. Tilak has scored 661 runs in 23 youth ODIs at an average of over 38 with one century and four fifties in 19 innings.
In the same week, his franchise partner in Mumbai Indians (MI) and close friend, South Africa's Dewald Brevis, called 'Baby AB' for his batting style resemblance to AB de Villiers, might be wearing the Proteas shirt in the limited-overs series against Australia.
While Brevis is yet to make his debut for South Africa, his impressive start in professional and franchise cricket suggests that a World Cup spot is not entirely out of the question. The youngster admits to utilising Instagram videos of the retired South African batsman to fine-tune his batting style.
Brevis, on the other hand, has carved out his own personality, even if his style is similar to de Villiers'. A year ago, a teenager named Brevis had one of the best U19 World Cup campaigns in history. The South African batsman scored 506 runs in six matches during the U19 World Cup, the most by any batter in a single tournament, with two centuries and three fifties.
South Africa has a formidable batting group for the upcoming World Cup, but Brevis' superb domestic record means that he is likely just one fantastic debut series away from a dream ride directly to the premier championship.
While Brevis is one of only a few players from the 2022 U19 World Cup who are already on the senior national team's radar, numerous of Tilak's contemporaries are either on the senior team or are viewed as the future.
The most renowned of the group, Naseem Shah (23 ODI wickets in eight matches), is almost guaranteed to make the World Cup. Afghanistan's ODI preparations include Ibrahim Zadran (749 ODI runs in 14 matches at average of 62.41 with four centuries, two fifties), Noor Ahmad (Two ODI wickets), and Fazalhaq Farooqi (27 ODI wickets in 16 matches), while Sri Lanka's limited-overs setup includes Matheesha Pathirana (Four ODI wickets in four matches).
Dilshan Madushanka (10 wickets in six ODIs), who was injured during the CWC23 Qualifier, is back in action and might be a vital member of Sri Lanka's fast bowling department for the event.
Tanveer Sangha, a leg-spinner who claimed 15 wickets in six matches at the 2020 U19 World Cup, was a surprising inclusion in Australia's provisional World Cup roster. Shoriful Islam, who was instrumental in Bangladesh's title-winning U19 championship campaign in 2020, is also expected to feature in the World Cup.
Tilak's teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal (400 runs at 133.33) and Ravi Bishnoi (17 wickets at 10.64) were India's standout performers in the 2020 event, topping the run charts and bowling tables, respectively, and have already earned their India debuts in other forms. (ANI)
