India vs Zimbabwe: KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal Among Top 5 Players To Watch Out For
Fresh from their IPL exploits, KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal will be looking to put on a great show and stake their claim for a permanent spot in the Indian team in the upcoming series against Zimbabwe
Highlights
-
Cremer will hold the key to Zimbabwe's chances in this series
-
KL Rahul will look to give strong starts to India
-
Raza's calculative stroke-play will come in handy for Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe are set to host India for three ODIs and three T20s, starting from June 11. The six matches will be played for over 12 days, with the last T20 on June 22. With a lot of youngsters (especially) from both sides having been given a chance to prove their mettle, it could well turn out to be a tight contest. Here is a look at the top 5 players who can make an impact in this series:
KL Rahul:
Once rated as a Test specialist, KL Rahul has moulded himself beautifully into a limited-overs player. Bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore during the 2016 Indian Premier League auctions, the stylish right-hander proved his worth, as he scored 397 runs in 14 games at an excellent strike-rate of 146.49.
Given his ability to strike the ball well and play proper cricketing shots, Rahul could well be a long-term prospect in India's ODI set-up that has been struggling with inconsistency at the top.
Dhawal Kulkarni:
Dhawal Kulkarni has been outstanding for Mumbai in the past few years but still hasn't got enough chances in the international arena. During the 2016 Indian Premier League, he was the stand-out bowler for Gujarat Lions, taking 18 wickets in 14 games at a strike-rate of 16.3. In List A, he averages under 25 and his economy rate too is less than five.
Dhawal is 27 now and keeping an eye on the next year's Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup, it is the right time to invest in him.
© BCCI
Yuzvendra Chahal:
The 25-year old leg-spinner has impressed one and all with brilliant performances in Indian Premier League. It would be fair to say that he has grown under Virat Kohli's captaincy and has delivered for his side when needed the most.
In the last two editions of IPL, Chahal has been the highest wicket-taker for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Even on pitches that didn't offer much turn, he found ways to confound the best. He picked up 21 wickets in 13 matches for RCB and was the go-to bowler for the team when they needed wickets.
The challenge for Chahal would be to make a mark in the international arena in challenging conditions.
Graeme Cremer:
The new Zimbabwe skipper will have his task cut out as soon as he steps out on the field on June 11. Following the sacking of Hamilton Masakadza and coach Dav Whatmore, the morale of the team is low heading into the series. This is the first time that Cremer will be captaining a side and this will be trial by fire.
Cremer's leg spin will be vital if Zimbabwe are to put up a fight in the series. During Zimbabwe's last ODI series against Afghanistan, Cremer was the second-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets in five games, including the only five-wicket haul in the series but unfortunately, Zimbabwe lost 2-3.
Sikandar Raza:
From creating an impression with his calculative stroke-play to becoming the team's one of the most dependable batsmen, it would be fair to say that 30-year old Sikandar Raza Butt will be one of the players to watch out for in this series.
With three ODI hundreds (two of them vs Pakistan and New Zealand) and four fifties, Sikandar has settled well in Zimbabwe's top-order and has also started to develop himself as a useful off-spinner. However, he has struggled in his last two series against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, averaging just 15 and 11.60 respectively.