Cricket World Cup: Shubman Gill, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Harry Brook – the under 25s who could thrive

Ahead of the Cricket World Cup in India, which starts on Thursday, we look at some of the under-25s who could flourish in the coming months…

Shubman Gill (India, 24)

The India opener is easily the leading run-scorer in ODI cricket in 2023, with his score of 1,230 in 20 innings, almost 300 more than anyone else. Gill has passed fifty in half his innings this year, with five fifties, five centuries and a top score of 208 against New Zealand in Hyderabad as he became the eighth man to record a double century in one-day international cricket. Gill was the youngest to achieve this feat, at 23 years and 132 days.

The right-hander’s brilliant 2023 included plundering 890 runs and three hundreds for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, as he enters the World Cup with scores of 74 and 104 against Australia. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may be the main names in the Indian batting line-up, but Gill could prove to be the star as the team looks to triumph on home soil, just like they did in 2011.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan, 23)

The left arm feels like it has always been there, having made his international debut in April 2018, shortly before his 18th birthday. Since then, Shaheen has picked up more than 250 wickets across all formats, 86 of which came in 44 ODIs, including four against India in the recent Asia Cup.

The paceman’s importance for Pakistan has increased further with fellow bowler Naseem Shah ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. Shaheen provides pace and movement with the new ball and is also a capable performer at the death. Pakistan were denied that second attribute in last year’s T20 World Cup final against England, with Afridi leaving the field injured. If he hadn’t done that, they might have won the trophy.

Harry Brook (England, 24)

It appears Brook will start the World Cup as a back-up to England’s top six of Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, but if given the chance he would can catch very well. just as he has done in Test cricket.

Brook’s international red-ball record stands at 1,181 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 62.15 and a strike rate of over 90, with Sky Sports’ Mark Butcher says the batsman possesses a “touch of genius”.

Those figures, plus his reckless batting style, were why fans and pundits were so stunned when Brook was left out of England’s World Cup squad but replaced Jason Roy in the last 15 after his teammate suffered premature back spasms.

The 24-year-old is yet to really ignite in ODI cricket with just a half-century in six innings and he struggled to open the batting in the recent series against New Zealand but placed him somewhere in the middle order, the spot in which he shone in the T20s against the Black Caps, and he was able to fly.

Bas de Leede (Netherlands, 23)

If underdog Netherlands want to cause a stir in the tournament – they start their first 50-over World Cup since 2011 against Pakistan on Friday – they may need all-rounder De Leede to make an impression. The right-arm, hard-hitting batsman is one of the main reasons why they are ranked number one here, after an all-round masterclass at the qualifying event in Zimbabwe this summer.

De Leede took five wickets in the must-win match against Scotland before smashing 123 from 92 balls as the Dutch reached their target of 278 to book their place in India. The 23-year-old will also feature in the World Cup in a decent way after scoring a maiden first-class hundred last month to help Durham gain promotion to County Championship Division One.

Marco Jansen (South Africa, 23)

The South African all-rounder is a hard man to miss, standing almost 6ft tall, and he has been a big hit for the Proteas since making his debut a few years ago – the left arm provides remarkable bounce with the ball as as well as the ability to push boundaries with the bat.

Jansen recently destroyed Australia’s top score in an ODI win in Johannesburg with his five-wicket haul, which included the scalps of Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner. Earlier in the match, he cracked 47 off 23 balls, including three sixes.

Dunith Wellallage (Sri Lanka, 20)

Sri Lanka enters the World Cup full of optimism having won 14 of their last 16 one-day international matches and losing only twice to India in that time. If they can muster enough runs – something they failed to do against India in the Asia Cup final as they were blown out for 50 – then they have the spin attack to do real damage in this competition.

That will be led by off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who has claimed 31 wickets in 15 ODIs this calendar year and can bowl the full innings, but Sri Lanka also appear to have unearthed a potential gem in slow left-armer Dunith Wellallage. . The youngster took a five-for against India in the group stages of the Asia Cup and also scored an unbeaten 42 off 46 deliveries.

Watch the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 live on Sky Sports between Thursday, October 5 and Sunday, November 19.

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