3 Players who could be the next Virat Kohli

Modern day Indian fans segregate the cricket timeline into three: the Gavaskar era, the Sachin era, and more recently, the Kohli era.

These three batting talismans headline their respective eras on account of the momentous impact they managed to create not just in Indian cricket but cricket in general. Kohli, in particular, wasn't content setting standards only with his bat and pioneered a fitness revolution in India.

In fact, he is so fit that you can hardly believe he is going to march into his 30s in less than three months! Yes, now let that sink in. Kohli, as fit as he is, isn’t going to play forever. The importance of grooming the next Kohli is more important than it may sound.

Fortunately, we have a handful of players who have already shown signs that they can pick up the baton from King Kohli.

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#3 Shubman Gill

Gill top-scored for India in the 2018 U19 World Cup

The youngster from Punjab seemed a misfit in the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup when he mercilessly accumulated 372 runs. He expectedly fetched a hefty bid in the 2018 IPL auction and joined the KKR battalion.

With an average of 33.83 and strike rate north of 146, Shubman Gill well and truly announced himself on the senior stage. His strokes were authoritative and had all the makings of an impact player.

Gill made his first-class debut for Punjab in the 2017-18 season and is already a regular in the India A and B squads and is pushing the case for a berth in the senior team via his consistent performances.

It only seemed fitting when the veteran Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik announced, ”I can see a lot of years of India blues in Shubman Gill.”

#2 Rishabh Pant

Pant made his Test debut against England recently

That Rishabh Pant is just 20 years old may seem far-fetched; for his talent certainly belies his age. Pant made a name for himself after he walloped a 24 ball 78. The cricketing maverick has a very unstable stance and on first glance, one might mistake the southpaw for a want-to-be cricketer. But all the doubts are erased when you see him missiling cricket balls beyond the fence.

In IPL 2018, Pant commanded worldwide attention as he kept tearing the reputations of the so-called T20 specialist bowlers. Helmets for the audience is a must as his six-hitting prowess can never be underestimated.

A strong contender for the orange cap, Rishabh Pant narrowly lost it to New Zealand captain after his side failed to make it to the Playoffs. The blithesome wicket-keeper has already donned the whites for the senior team and in all likelihood seems destined to flourish as one of India’s most fearsome players ever.

#1 Prithvi Shaw

Shaw captained the Indian team to U19 World Cup glory

The synonym of Prithvi Shaw is widely believed to be Sachin Tendulkar. His footwork and stroke play has drawn comparisons with the little master and that in itself is a massive feat for the Maharashtra lad.

Shaw was a popular figure even before his U19 days when he scored a mammoth 546 as a 14-year-old in a school game. Shaw also broke the master blaster's record for being the youngest player to score a century on Duleep Trophy debut.

Everything that Shaw touched, turned into gold as Shaw captained the Indian U19 team to World Cup glory. In IPL 2018, Shaw scored his first fifty against the Kolkata Knight Riders thus becoming the joint youngest to score an IPL fifty along with Sanju Samson.

He befriended his purple patch when he toured England with India A and returned with two centuries. His superhuman form prompted the selectors to draft him into the Test squad against England for the fourth and fifth Test.

All this and Shaw is still eligible to play for the Indian U19 team! Shaw’s habit of shattering records is very much evident and it is only a matter of time before he carries it into the International arena.