T20 World Cup 2021: Five young guns to watch out for

The ICC T20 World Cup begins on September 17 with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea in the first group game at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman City. The Super 12 stage will kick off from September 23. The squads have been announced for the marquee tournament as the 16 teams place their best players on the field for glory. 

While tournaments like the Indian Premier League do give youngsters a launching pad, the World Cup will is going to test their skill, temperament and focus on the biggest stage there is. Some exciting talent like Rahul Chahar and Ishan Kishan will be seen in the Indian colours as the likes of Obed McCoy (West Indies), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) and Shoriful Islam (Bangladesh) will be ready to make their debut in the marquee event.  

Also read: T20 World Cup 2021: 5 Indians to watch out for

Here are the top young guns to watch out for in the 2021 T20 World Cup:

1) Ishan Kishan (India):

After registering a string of low scores for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021, Ishan Kishan bounced back with a quickfire scored 84 runs off 32 balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in MI’s final round robin game. Aiming for a near-impossible qualification, the 23-year-old powered his side’s total to a mammoth 235 runs. Kishan had earlier scored an unbeaten 50 off 25 balls against the Rajasthan Royals.

The wicketkeeper batsman has been backed as an opener alongside Rohit Sharma, but with KL Rahul also a part of the squad, he might have to come in at No 4 or even No 5. 

2) Josh Inglis (Australia):

The England-born batsman is yet to make his international debut for Australia. He made it to the squad riding on some exceptional performances across domestic T20 leagues. For Leicestershire, Inglis scored a power packed 103 before smashing 118 from 61 balls a month later. 

Also read: Kieron Pollard chooses his five a side World T20 team, MS Dhoni gets a spot

3) Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan):

The son-in-law of one of Pakistan’s biggest hitters Shahid Afridi, Shaheen is expected to be Pakistan’s X factor in the T20 World Cup. The 21-year-old made his T20I debut against the West Indies in 2018. Since then he has led the national side’s bowling attack. Often compared to the likes of Mitchell Starc, the  6ft 6ins bowler is expected to extract bounce on the pitches of the UAE.

Also read: T20 World Cup: India unbeaten against Pakistan in last 5 encounters

4) Rahul Chahar (India): 

Rahul Chahar’s selection potentially knocked out the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav out of contention. Chahar comes as India’s primary leg spinner in the T20 World Cup. While he has already made his mark in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians, Chahar is still finding his feet in international cricket. 

5) Obed McCoy (West Indies):

The defending champions come with the raw pace and energy of Obed McCoy in their arsenal. The 24-year-old, a left-arm bowler, has played 12 T20I matches and taken 19 wickets at 16.21. He has taken four-wicket hauls in T20I matches against South Africa and Australia this year.