We are heading toward the business end of the T20 World Cup, and the tournament has had its fair share of drama, excitement, and enthralment. While teams like South Africa, New Zealand, and India are almost assured of securing a last-four berth, the fate of teams like Australia, England, and Pakistan hinges on the balance at the moment.
Quite a few players have impressed thus far in the tournament. Established veterans like Virat Kohli, Tim Southee, David Miller, and Jos Buttler have done well, while pretty experienced players like Sam Curran, Marcus Stoinis, Anrich Nortje, Suryakumar Yadav, and Lungi Ngidi have also performed.
In this article, we will look at three young players who have made their mark in the World Cup and fascinated us with their performance. Let’s get on with the list.
#1 Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
Phillips, who did not play in New Zealand’s first match, is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, having only played in a couple of matches. His brilliant knocks against Sri Lanka and England put the Kiwis in a strong position, and the 25-year-old middle-order batter has greatly enhanced his reputation during the last week.
Phillips’ ability to hit towering sixes, primarily through the on-side, makes him a dangerous proposition for any opposition. As the ball gets a bit older, when Phillips comes to the crease, he can score heavily despite not possessing a copybook technique. He showed that while scoring a T20 World Cup century against Sri Lanka and making a whirlwind 62 against England.
#2 Arshdeep Singh (India)
The 23-year-old Arshdeep has shouldered the responsibility of India’s new-ball attack in the tournament along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and has done a splendid job at that. He has swung the ball both ways and troubled the top-order batters with great movement in the air.
However, the surprise element has been his ability to alter the length. He took a couple of wickets against Pakistan with bouncers and got scalps with short deliveries against Bangladesh. The delivery with which he got Quinton de Kock was an absolute beauty that moved a great deal and got the edge en route to the second slip.
Arshdeep is the joint highest wicket taker in the Super 12, along with Sam Curran, with nine scalps and continues to show steady progress as a bowler.
#3 Mohammad Wasim (junior) (Pakistan)
In an otherwise disappointing tournament, Wasim’s performance has been the only silver lining for Pakistan. The 21-year-old did not play in Pakistan’s loss to India in their opening match; he came into the side as a bowling all-rounder against Zimbabwe.
Wasim got four wickets against Zimbabwe and then scalped two more against the Netherlands to make his mark as a stand-out performer. Admittedly, his performance did not come against great batting sides. Still, his ability to hit the deck, as well as bowl in-swinging Yorkers during the death overs, make him a precious player for Pakistan.
He has a long career ahead of him, and one can only hope that he will improve as a bowler and develop a very good slower delivery over time.
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