Every year, Vijay Hazare Trophy throws up a few performers who go on to do well for Team India. ODI World Cup is scheduled to happen in India next season. Although the core is frozen, there are still many spots open. Especially with India failing to win the 2022 T20 World Cup, the pressure is more on the men in blue to win the 50-over WC. In this context, a few players did extremely well in VHT 2022 and have now given themselves a chance to represent India at the World Cup next year. On that note, here, we take a look at four youngsters who made a strong case for the 2023 ODI World Cup with their performances in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.
1) Ruturaj Gaikwad
Matches: 5 || Runs: 660 || Average: 220 || Strike Rate: 113
Usually, players lose steam after doing well in one domestic season. However, in Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s case, it has been different. While he had an excellent IPL 2021, he followed it up with a brilliant show in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. Now, he has done even better this season.
The Maharashtra skipper scored four centuries this season, including one in the final. He has done this despite not many of his teammates supporting him well. With India also open to changing its opening combination, Gaikwad does have a great chance now.
2) Tilak Varma
Matches: 7 || Runs: 402 || Average: 80.40 || Strike Rate: 118
Tilak Varma is one of the youngsters who made a strong case for the 2023 ODI World Cup with their performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. The Hyderabad cricketer ticks many boxes for Team India.
The southpaw is good against spin and he is improving his game against high-end pace. He can feature in the middle order and since India needs some left-handed options, Tilak would be a great fit. Moreover, he is a useful off-spinner, which adds depth to the line-up. He did well in VHT 2022 and hence, he is one of the contenders now.
3) Riyan Parag
Matches: 9 || Runs: 552 || Average: 69 || Strike Rate: 123
Winners Are Grinners! 🏆 ☺️@JUnadkat – captain of Saurashtra – receives the #VijayHazareTrophy from the hands of Mr. @JayShah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI. 👏 👏
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/CGhKsFzC4g #Final | #SAUvMAH | @mastercardindia | @saucricket pic.twitter.com/fBrgckoghb
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 2, 2022
Riyan Parag had been doing well in domestic cricket but was yet to have a season that would make many take notice of him. However, he had it this season. Importantly, he did well in difficult situations and in the middle order.
Riyan’s talent is well-known and he has now shown that he has a good temperament, too. Like Tilak, Riyan is also a useful off-spinner. From now on, India needs bowling options in the top order. Therefore, he has now given himself a great chance to fall in the eyes of the Indian selectors.
4) Kuldeep Sen
Matches: 6 || Wickets: 18 || Average: 12.7 || Economy: 5.3
Kuldeep Sen is also one of the youngsters who made a strong case for the 2023 ODI World Cup with their performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. The Madhya Pradesh cricketer impressed many with his pace in IPL 2022.
The player bowled well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He is already in the picture with respect to Team India. Although India has a lot of pace options, depth is important. Moreover, hit-the-deck pacers are few in number and it is important to have a solid backup for the likes of Jasprit Bumrah. Therefore, Kuldeep Sen will be a contender for a spot in Team India.
