So far, we have had six editions of the T20 World Cup. However, between no tournaments has the gap been more than the break we are seeing between the sixth and the seventh edition. The last T20 World Cup was held in 2016, and the upcoming one will occur this year from October 17th in the UAE and Oman. Hence, due to the five-year gap, we could see many first-timers at the forthcoming event. In this article, we take a look at five cricketers who might play their first T20 World Cup in 2021.
1) KL Rahul (India)
T20I Debut – June 2016
KL Rahul will be one of the high-profile cricketers who might play their first T20 World Cup in 2021. In fact, when the 2016 edition was being played, KL was nowhere in the scene with regards to T20 cricket. However, a month later, he had a brilliant stint with RCB in IPL and then got an opportunity to play T20I cricket for India against Zimbabwe.
Since then, he has been one of India’s best batsmen in the format. He was No.2 on ICC’s T20I batting charts for almost more than a year. KL struck more than 300 runs in both 2018 and 2019 and cemented his place in the team. His role will be crucial as India tries to clinch an ICC trophy after a long time.
2) Babar Azam (Pakistan)
T20I Debut – September 2016
Currently, the No.2 T20I batsman in ICC’s charts, Babar Azam will be one of the popular first-timers in the T20 World Cup event. He was one of the withdrawn players in Pakistan’s 2016 T20 World Cup squad. However, it was only almost five months after the competition that Babar made his T20I debut.
Since then, the Pakistani captain has played in 61 T20Is, scoring 2204 runs at a stunning average of 46.89. He hit peak T20I form in 2018 when he scored 563 runs at an average of 62.56. The right-hander also happens to be the fastest to 2000 runs in the format. If Pakistan wants to lift the trophy, Babar must inevitably play the chief architect’s role.
3) Rishabh Pant (India)
T20I Debut – February 2017
Rishabh Pant is one of the popular cricketers who might play their first T20 World Cup in 2021. Although Pant’s T20I record, so far, is not extraordinary, the Indian wicket-keeper’s overall form and confidence are impressive at the moment.
MS Dhoni played all six editions of the T20 World Cup, but the upcoming event will not feature him. Pant will be MSD’s replacement in the Indian Team. Back when Pant made his T20I debut against England in 2017, he was groomed for the role, and here he is, four years on, being India’s first-choice wicket-keeper across formats.
4) Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies)
T20I Debut – January 2018
As West Indies starts to prepare for life without the Bravo’s and the Gayle’s, the latest generation led by the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran would be expected to step up soon. Hetmyer is likely to be part of West Indies’ T20 WC squad as one of the main middle-order batsmen.
While Shimron’s hitting prowess is well-known, his stats aren’t great, to be honest. In 37 T20I games so far, he has managed only 539 runs at a poor average of 19.96. Nevertheless, he is a talent and hence, will probably be backed by the board for the upcoming event.
5) Sam Curran (England)
T20I Debut – November 2019
Sam Curran is slowly starting out in his T20I career but based on his exploits in league cricket, he will be one of the players to look forward to in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The youngster has the knack of leaving an impact with both bat and ball when he is given the task.
The all-rounder has played only 16 T20Is for his country so far. England requires a left-arm seam option, and Curran is at the front of the queue. He also adds terrific stability with the bat at No.8 or as a floater.
