3 uncapped players who can look to follow in the footsteps of Yuvraj Singh

Indian star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh recently announced retirement from all forms of cricket. Yuvraj had a highly successful career spanning across 18 years. He was the main architect of India’s World Cup win in 2011 and also played an instrumental role in a victorious 2007 T20I World Cup campaign.

Yuvraj featured in more than 300 ODIs for India and scored more than 8000 runs. He was a true match winner who battled several odds and came out triumphant every time.

However, his last IPL season for Mumbai Indians was patchy. At times he displayed his vintage form of old, and at others he looked all at sea.

He will always be remembered for hitting six sixes in an over, for claiming IPL hat-tricks, for winning the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, and most importantly for making a billion Indian fans smile.

In this article, we look at 3 uncapped players who can look to follow in Yuvraj's footsteps and try to create a similar impact in the middle order:

#3 Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma is an exciting young talent

The 2018 U19 World Cup batch had players like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill, who have already grabbed the limelight. But one of the lesser known players who could go on to make a big impact in the future is all-rounder Abhishek Sharma.

Sharma made his IPL debut that year for Delhi Daredevils and stroked a classy 40 in his first outing against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The innings drew praise from former England captain Michael Vaughan.

This year he represented Sunrisers Hyderabad but didn’t get too many opportunities. However, the experience he would have acquired under the stewardship of Tom Moody and VVS Laxman will go a long way in propelling his career.

If Sharma can marry his potential with the valor that Yuvraj exhibited on the cricket field, he might well be on his way to a successful career.

#2 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav is an explosive batsman

Suryakumar Yadav plies his trade for Mumbai in domestic cricket. He is a flamboyant right-hander who possesses the ability to pack a punch. Batting in the middle-order, he has been a consistent performer for his state side.

However, it is the IPL that has brought him a great deal of fame. He started off with Kolkata Knight Riders and was later acquired by Mumbai Indians in the 2018 auction for INR 3.2 crore.

In this year’s IPL, Kumar scored 424 runs at an average of 32.62 and a strike-rate of 130.86 He smashed 65 boundaries across 15 innings. His highest score of 71 came against Chennai Super Kings, which helped his side chase down 132 to reach the finals.

This year he seemed to have overcome his problems against short-pitched bowling. If he remains consistent, Yadav could feature in the Indian national team soon.

#1 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan is a versatile cricketer

In his young career, Ishan Kishan has shown plenty of versatility. He was an opener during the U19 World Cup 2016 but for Mumbai Indians in IPL and for Jharkhand in domestic cricket he has batted in the middle-order. Much like Yuvraj, he can reconstruct an innings after a top-order wobble as well as lend a finishing touch.

In the IPL Kishan has displayed the ability to clear the ropes at will. He has played several quick-fire innings for MI but has lacked consistency. In this year’s IPL he managed to score only 101 runs at an underwhelming average of 16.83.

Now a consistent member of the India-A squad, Kishan will be in search of consistent performances. If he can keep his hunger alive and exhibit maturity, he might soon be rewarded with a national call-up - as post World Cup, several places will be vacated.

Having shared the dressing room with Yuvraj at MI will only help the young Kishan.