The World Cup is the greatest glory of cricket and the dream of every budding cricketer. Performances given here have been cherished for a long time, while failure is seen as a blur even in otherwise successful cricket careers. To be selected in the squad for the World Cup, a cricketer needs to be among the very best players of the country, and once selected, none would want to miss out on an opportunity to make an impact on the greatest stage of cricket.
World Cup 2023 would be the 13th edition of the quadrennial event, which will witness many young and promising cricketers making their World Cup debut with ambitions to make a mark. In this article, we will look at five World Cup debutants who can set the stage on fire in India.
1. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill loves the 50 overs format and has a penchant to score big runs consistently. As an U19 player, Gill scored 1149 runs at an extraordinary average of 104.45 in 15 innings with 4 centuries and 6 half centuries, including his famous hundred against Pakistan in the semifinal of U-19 World Cup 2018. In ODI cricket, Gill has scored 1917 runs at 66.10 after playing 35 matches, with the bulk of those runs coming in this year itself.
Having scored 1230 runs with 5 centuries in 2023, Gill is chasing a world record for most ODI runs and centuries in a calendar year currently held by none other than Sachin Tendulkar, who had plundered 1894 runs with 9 centuries in 1998.
Gill is a terrific stroke maker who is potent to play his shots both on front foot and back foot. He can be really devastating on his day and has the ability to turn the match on his head. With the form he is in plus home conditions, Gill is expected to exhibit his batting masterclass in his debut World Cup.
2. Heinrich Klaasen
A six hitting monster who is equally adept against spin and pace, Heinrich Klaasen will be a player to watch out for in the competition. He is one of the best middle order batsmen in the world currently and has the ability to change the course of the match in very quick time.
2023 has been the best year of Klaasen’s ODI career so far. In 11 matches this year, he has scored 527 runs at 58.55 apiece with a spectacular strike rate of 151.43.
Klaasen’s most recent onslaught where he demolished Australian attack with a belligerent 174 off 114 balls with 13 fours and as many sixes, could very well be the precursor for what opposition teams are going to face from the bat of the South African.
The last couple of years has seen Klaasen tearing apart the best of bowlers in the world and fans from around the globe must brace themselves for madness from the bat of Klaasen on his World Cup debut.
3. Haris Rauf
Haris Rauf has been pivotal in Pakistan’s recent rise in ODI cricket. Rauf made his ODI debut in 2020 when Pakistan was going through a phase of transition after below par show in the previous World Cup. His pair with Shaheen Afridi which was later accompanied by Naseem Shah made Pakistan pace attack a force to reckon with.
Rauf is a match winner with the ball who can bowl hard lengths consistently with sheer pace to tie down the best of batsmen. Bowlers are often said to be the ones who win big tournaments, and Rauf is certainly that kind of bowler who can do it with his thunderbolts.
Haris is a surreal wicket taker who has taken 2 or more wickets in an ODI match 17 times out of 28 played so far. His performance is going to be one of the key things for Pakistan and the lethal pacer is all capable of rising to the occasion and winning accolades for his bowling.
4. Marnus Labuschagne
A classy batsman known for his grit and determination, Marnus Labuschagne is a delight to watch when he gets going. ICC ranked number 5 in Tests, Marnus has all the potential to succeed in ODI cricket too. His ability to score runs at good strike rate despite mostly relying on orthodox shots makes him a good ODI batsman potentially.
Initially excluded from the World Cup bound squad, Labuschagne did his bit to impress the selectors with good outings against South Africa and India, before getting a nod in the final squad in place of injured Ashton Agar.
On Indian pitches where any team would cherish a good batsman of spin bowling in the middle overs, Labuschagne comes as a luxury for the Aussies, who can cause the score board running without taking much risk. In all likelihood, Labuschagne is one player who can be impactful in this World Cup.
5. Dawid Malan
A reliable batsman who can score heavily with the bat, Dawid Malan, aged 36, was able to breach the cut throat competition for England’s world cup squad. Low scores in the Hundred and following T20I series against New Zealand have put Malan’s chances for the final World Cup squad in jeopardy, but he was able to bounce back on time as he scored 54, 96 and 127 in three matches he played in the 4 match ODI series against the Blackcaps.
Malan’s ODI records are pretty impressive. In 21 matches so far, Malan has scored above 1000 runs at a terrific average of 61.52 and excellent strike rate of 96.13. Five centuries and five half- centuries in 21 innings speaks volumes of his abilities in the 50 overs format.
Malan possesses a compact technique who can score with equal efficiency against pace and spin. He will be seen opening the batting for England along with Johnny Bairstow, and given his current form, he is expected to light up the marquee event with quality innings with the bat.
