5 young stars in IPL 2023 who can take India's No. 4 batting slot in future

With a number of Indian youngsters putting in a fine display in IPL 2023, they have thrown their names into the hat for higher honors in the future. The tournament has seen multiple veterans carve out a redemption arc, but young talent continues to stand out and capture the attention of the audience.

If there has been an Achilles heel for Team India in recent years, it's nailing that critical No.4 slot in white-ball cricket. Suryakumar Yadav has made it his own in T20s and Shreyas Iyer has cast himself as a fine ODI batter. However, injuries to Shreyas, Rishabh Pant, and more recently, KL Rahul have thrown a spanner into the works of the Indian team in a World Cup year.

This is where the remainder of IPL 2023 offers a golden opportunity for some select young talent to take that giant leap towards national selection. Mind you, there isn't a guarantee that they will make it and will be looked at as World Cup candidates, but a decent showing is bound to keep the selectors interested in the long run.

Here, we look at five young IPL 2023 stars who could don that role in the years to come.

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#1 Tilak Varma - Mumbai Indians

Perhaps the most obvious choice that springs to mind is Tilak Varma. The prodigious left-handed batter from Andhra continues to take giant strides and has picked up from where he left off in IPL 2023.

It all adds up now as to why he was fast-tracked into the India A setup last year. Technically sound, temperamentally composed and an increased range of shots have put him in the mix as a serious long-term prospect for India.

Calls for a national cap have grown louder this year, having scored 274 runs for the Mumbai Indians (MI) at an average of 34.25 and a strike rate of 158.38. The way he's developing, it could only be a matter of time before he is considered for the No.4 slot in ODIs and T20s for India.

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#2 Jitesh Sharma - Punjab Kings

Jitesh Sharma might be 29 years of age, but he remains uncapped at the international level. Mind you, that looks extremely likely to change in the near future, given how he has taken on the finisher's role for Punjab Kings (PBKS) like a duck to water.

The wicketkeeper from Vidarbha was also called up to the Indian team for the home T20I rubber against Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year. The Men in Blue could certainly do with a finisher, but given how adept he is against spin and pace, he isn't just someone who can slog from the word go.

There is no reason why he can't occupy the No.4 slot as a spin-basher before carrying that forward into the rest of the innings. It is a role for which he ought to be considered in the future as far as the Indian team is concerned.

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#3 Abhishek Sharma - SunRisers Hyderabad

Abhishek Sharma enjoyed a breakout season for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) last year having opened the batting and tallied in excess of 400 runs. SRH have shunted him up and down the order in IPL 2023 but he has looked at ease in the middle order too.

A large part of it is down to his excellent prowess against spin - something which came to the fore when he took down Sunil Narine with ease earlier in IPL 2023. Having done something similar against Rashid Khan last year, he has proven himself to be a batter with incredible potential that could translate into something promising at the next level.

The Indian team could do with a left-hander who can play spin well in the middle overs in white-ball cricket. Abhishek could hence be groomed for the No.4 spot in the future, with his left-arm spin also bound to add an extra dimension to the team.

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#4 Rinku Singh - Kolkata Knight Riders

The man who pulled off the biggest miracle of IPL 2023 with those five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal, Rinku Singh has been prolific in domestic cricket for a good while now. He has laid down a marker for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but also carries a reputation for rescuing Uttar Pradesh from a nervous start in countless instances.

Averaging close to 60 in first-class cricket and 53 in List-A cricket, the 25-year-old southpaw's consistency knows no bounds. His ability to absorb pressure remains his biggest asset and for a batting position that India have often struggled with in recent years, he could just be the perfect fit.

He has an entire career ahead of him and having grabbed every opportunity coming his way in IPL 2023, higher honors look a realistic possibility for Rinku at the No.4 spot.

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#5 Ayush Badoni - Lucknow Super Giants

Having made a name as a finisher for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last year, Ayush Badoni has been used higher up the order quite often in IPL 2023. He has blown hot and cold, but his knock against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on a minefield in Lucknow illustrated the immense talent at his disposal.

It's a combination of talent and maturity, with Badoni walking out to bat with LSG's score reading 44/5 and the CSK spinners weaving their magic. Having taken his time initially, he accelerated at the right juncture and dispatched the scoring opportunities away en route to an outstanding half-century.

The 23-year-old batter has only played five List-A matches so far for Delhi. However, he continues to take giant strides in his career and has the makings of a fine batter in time to come. If that knock against CSK is anything to go by, he could well be a candidate for the No. 4 slot in the Indian team in time to come.

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Which of these young performers in IPL 2023 do you think is the best fit for India at No.4 in the future? Have your say in the comments section below!

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