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5 Cricketers to look forward in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021

After plying their trade at recently held IPL 2020, domestic stars of India get ready to participate in another gruelling T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The major cricket governing body of India, BCCI has decided to kick off the domestic season with the T20 tournament and provide the players with ample chances before they eventually sit to pick the squad for the T20 World Cup to be contested in India.

A Plenty of players who are in the national reckoning were in prime form at the IPL for their respective franchises, and it will be intriguing to see if they carry the dream run in the major tournament to follow. Here are the 5 players who will be put under scrutiny at the Mushtaq Ali trophy and their performances will have a major bearing on their national selection:

1. Suryakumar Yadav

‘Sky’ was by far the most consistent batsman for MI at IPL 2020. His ability to bat at different positions with similar prowess shows his readiness to climb up the big ladder and score hefty runs for India.

Yadav aggregated 480 runs from 16 games at an average of 40 and an impressive strike rate of 145.01 at IPL 2020. He might not be the highest run-getter of the season, but his remarkable ability to thrive under extreme pressure was one of the factors behind MI’s second successive title.

Having captained and spent a major part of his cricketing career playing for Mumbai, Yadav won’t be under any sort of pressure while carrying the responsibility of the team and it is more of a normal service resumed for the domestic star, who will be etching to perform and win the title for his side.

2. Ishan Kishan

This pocket-sized dynamo from the famous city of Jharkhand made merry playing for MI at IPL 2020. Inspite of being a specialist wicketkeeper, Kishan managed to maintain his place in the side as a pure batsman on the back of some explosive performances in the tournament.

The youngster slammed 516 runs from 14 games at a mighty average of 57.33 and powerful strike rate of 145.76 at IPL 2020. His striking was so fluent that he topped the list for the most number of sixes hit in the tournament, putting behind stars like Pollard, Gayle and de Villiers.

The Mushtaq Ali tournament will be an ideal platform for the man to demonstrate his impeccability in both the keeping and batting aspects and put a strong case for himself, earning a spot as the specialist wicketkeeper batter.

3. Abdul Samad

This teenager from the serene land of Jammu and Kashmir earned a lot of praises and holy blessings from former cricketers, experts and fans for his fearless show with the bat coming down the order for Sunrisers.

Samad scored 111 runs from 12 games at an average of 27.20 and a mind-boggling strike rate of 170.76. It is this huge strike rate which has caught the attention of the onlookers and people deemed him to be the ideal choice for the finisher’s role in India blue.

He is very young in his cricketing career and thus, will be closely assessed by the selection committee. Some breathtaking display with the bat and wicket-taking spree with his abled leg-break can go a long way in him solidifying his case and coming up as a handy option at the World T20 in India based on the performance testimonial in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

4. Deepak Hooda

This tall swashbuckler from Baroda has spent a fair time plying his trade at the IPL for different franchises. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a dream season which every youngster craves for and that in turn extends the case for the player for a debut at the international level.

Featuring in 7 games for a star-studded KXIP line-up, Hooda smashed 101 runs at a scintillating strike rate of 142.25. His 62 runs in the last league game helped Punjab in reaching a competitive total on board and challenging the former champions, CSK.

Hooda’s cricketing career too has been ridden by inconsistency and it is this aspect which has taken him away from the prospect of making an international debut. If he can ward this off and perform brilliantly for Baroda in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he will be back in the mix and augment the chances of seeing his dream materialise.

5. Vijay Shankar

From being picked as a replacement to cementing his place in the squad for 2019 World Cup, Vijay Shankar has seen it and experienced it all during his short international career. The lanky all-rounder soon went off the boil after an injury cut-short his journey at the World Cup.

Since then, it has been difficult for him to get back and prove a point at the international arena. Playing for Sunrisers, Vijay Shankar has compiled 97 runs from 7 games at an average of 24.25 and strike rate of 101.04.

The numbers definitely aren’t impressive by any standards, and it hints at the batting struggle he had at the tournament. In spite of this, he could manage a fifty-plus score in one innings and that shows there is a lot left in him, and it is a matter of one big score that he will be back at doing what he knows best.

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