New Delhi: World cricket witnesses plenty of talent emerge every year. While some talents turn out to be one-match or one-series wonders, plenty of them still end up instilling hope in fans for another generation of enthralling cricketing action, game-changing skillsets and performances. 2024 was no different as plenty of seasoned veterans called curtains on their career and a new generation is taking shape with every passing day.
Asia continues to produce some of the most promising talent in the world, two of which could form the future generation of 'Fab Four' batters, replacing legendary names like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson, who are in the final stages of their career. Some promising talent has also been unearthed from England as they seek to rebuild following disappointing runs in ICC World Test Championship, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC T20 World Cup 2024. New Zealand and West Indies also saw some talent making a name for themselves amid largely disappointing ICC World Test Championship and T20 World Cup outings. With the ICC Champions Trophy to be held next year and almost every major team in a transitional phase, expect these young talents to finally show what they are truly made of.
Here are some fine talents who had a breakout 2024:
-Tristan Stubbs (South Africa)
The big-hitting Protean, who captured everyone's attention with a 28-ball 72 against England back in 2022, could not convert his versatility and talent into consistency. The year 2024 marked a complete turnaround in fortunes for the youngster who can switch gears with the bat effortlessly, bowl some useful off-break spin and keep wickets.
During Cricket South Africa (CSA) domestic four day competition Division 1, he compiled a triple century for Warriors against KwaZulu-Natal Inland, making 302* in 372 balls, with 37 fours and six sixes. Not only did he stay unbeaten for such a marathon effort, but also showed that red-ball cricket is just as safe as a T20 match for a modern-day batter to truly apply their audacity and stroke range.
Stubbs also did a phenomenal job in franchise leagues, starring in Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) second successive SA20 title win with 301 runs in nine innings at an average of 60.20, strike rate of over 168 and three half-centuries, top-scoring for the team. A much-better outing took place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Delhi Capitals (DC), scoring 378 runs in 13 innings at an average of 54.00, a strike rate of 190.00 and three fifties and taking three wickets.
Coming to international cricket, Stubbs is displaying a diverse array of strokes and ability to shift from one format to the other not seen since the days of AB de Villiers. Both his reverse ramps, sweeps and marathon Test knocks remind fans of their most beloved cricketer and they look at him as a heir apparent to 'Mr 360'. A middle-order batter in white-ball who can finish with some fireworks, Stubbs is shaping up to be Proteas' next ever-reliable number three batter who can weather any storm.
In 33 international matches this year, he has made 1,173 runs at an average of 39.10, with three centuries and three fifties in 37 innings. His best score is 122*.
-Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Since the retirements of legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the Lankan Lions have been looking for someone who can replicate the hunger for runs these generational superstars of the 'Golden Age' and tire out the opposition with their determination and ability to soak up balls.
Kamindu it seems, meets this profile perfectly. While he has delivered very few notable performances in white-ball cricket, his Test form suggests that it is only a matter of time before the left-handed finds comfort in coloured clothing too.
In nine Tests this year, Kamindu took the cricketing world by storm due to his unbelievable conversion rate, scoring 1,049 runs in 16 innings at an average of 74.62, strike rate of over 66. He scored five centuries and three fifties, with best score of 182*.
He tied with legendary Aussie batter Don Bradman as second-fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in just 13 innings. Kamindu also scored a fifty-plus score in eight successive Tests, which also were first eight of his career, becoming the first player to do so.
Overall in 33 matches and 36 innings this year, he made 1,451 runs at an average of 50.03, with five centuries and five fifties, with best score of 182*.
-Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
After having made a century on his Test debut, Jaiswal showcased immense promise in both the longest and shortest format of the game last year. But this year, the left-hander went a notch further, making his wicket a highly coveted one at the age of just 23.
Jaiswal started off his year with a blockbuster series at home against England, top-scoring with 712 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 89.00, with two double centuries and three fifties, making a mockery of legendary James Anderson. While a mixed IPL 2024 season followed, with 435 runs at an average of 31 with just one century and fifty in 15 innings, he later went on to be a part of the ICC T20 World Cup winning Indian squad, bringing the cup back home after 17 years.
In later Test tours against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia, Jaiswal grind it out against some of the world's best bowlers in difficult conditions when the rest of the team were not in their best form, particularly seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat. To a large extent, he has succeeded, top-scoring for India in international cricket this year, with 1,771 runs in 23 matches and 37 innings at an average of 52.08, with three tons and 11 fifties.
A major highlight knock was against Australia at Perth, a marathon knock of 161 runs during which he took the Aussies to cleaners, indulging in audacious hitting and banter against Mitchell Starc. He is India's highest run-getter in the series so far, with 359 runs in four Tests, one century and two fifties at an average of above 51.
-Jamie Smith (England)
After a poor series against India, in which 'Bazball' approach of England cricket was defeated by Jasprit Bumrah, Indian spinners and skipper Rohit Sharma-led batch of youngsters, England had a Jonny Bairstow-sized hole to fill, who was failed by the philosophy of attacking 'see ball, hit ball' cricket that also gave him one of his career's best patches.
Enter Jamie during the season-starting series against West Indies. The 24-year-old proved to be quite an upgrade over Bairstow, offering not only a fast scoring rate, brute six hitting, but also a fine ability to bat with tailenders. In nine Tests, he scored 637 runs in 15 innings at an average of 42.46, with a strike rate of 72.30. He scored a century and four fifties, with best score of 111.
In seven ODIs as well, he has made 133 runs at an average of 22.16, with best score of 49 in six innings.
In 18 first-class matches this year, Jamie scored 1,314 runs at an average of 48.66, with a strike rate of above 74, with three centuries and nine fifties in 27 innings. His best score is 155 while playing for Surrey.
-Jacob Bethell (England)
England has a fine pool of all-round talent across all forms of the game, with 21-year-old, blonde-haired Jacob Bethell being the latest edition to it. Within four months, the youngster made his debut across all formats for Three Lions and has makings of a future star, averaging above 50 in Tests and T20Is so far.
Handed a debut in New Zealand Test series without a first-class cricket century, Bethell proved his doubters wrong with some audacious strokeplay and level-headed temper beyond his age, smashing three half-centuries in the series which England won.
Overall in 18 international matches and 19 innings, Bethell has made 600 runs, averaging 42.00 and with a strike rate of over 91. He has scored six fifties so far with best score of 96. With his useful spin bowling, Bethell has also taken seven wickets, with best figures of 3/72.
Bethell came into the team after a brilliant T20 Blast season with Warwickshire, making 361 runs in 12 innings at an average of 36.10 and a strike rate of above 153, with four half-centuries. His best score was 71*. He also took six wickets at an average of 14.33.
After his initial international exploits, a good run with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who got him for Rs 2.6 crore in the auction, will only expand Bethell's repute as a serious hitter and help him develop a massive fanbase.
-Saim Ayub (Pakistan)
Amid conversations of players like Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan dragging Pakistan cricket down with a highly-conservative, milestone-oriented brand of cricket, this left-handed stroke-player in his early 20s could very well be the answer his nation needs.
Some strong outings in Pakistan Super League (PSL) with Peshawar Zalmi in 2023 and 2024 and a breakout Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with Guyana Warriors in 2023 with 478 runs and four half-centuries in 13 matches, averaging 43.45, striking at over 142, Ayub was handed his debut last year.
Despite averaging just above 17 and striking at 123 with no fifty in his first eight T20Is, Ayub was not binned. Rather, he received a strong backing from seniors. The result is a breakout year in 2024, with notable moments across all formats.
In 35 international matches this year, Ayub has scored 1,254 runs at an average of 33.00, strike rate of over 89, with three centuries and five fifties in 41 innings and his best score being 113*. He has outdone star batter Babar (1,134 runs in 35 matches with eight fifties) and is the second-highest run-getter for Pakistan.
Its his ODI stats that look the most attractive. In nine matches, he has made 515 runs at an average of 64.37, with a strike rate of above 105. He has scored three centuries and a fifty, with best score of 113*, with two of them coming in South Africa that paved away for a landmark clean sweep for Pakistan under Rizwan.
-Abhishek Sharma (India)
For long, India have prayed for an aggressive, throw-bat-on-everything opener who can maximize the powerplay. In a fresh and welcome change from accumulating ways of the past by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, this 24-year-old opener from Punjab has the talent and hitting to dismantle any bowling attack.
After a breakthrough, title-winning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Punjab in 2023 for Punjab (485 runs in 10 matches with strike rate of over 192.46, two centuries and three fifties), Abhishek truly unlocked and showcased his six-hitting during IPL 2024, forming a successful opening duo with Australia's Travis Head that tore apart many records in the league.
Abhishek was Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) second-highest run-getter and overall 10th, with 484 runs at an average of 32.26, with three half-centuries in 16 innings, best score of 75* and strike rate of above 204. His six count of 42 was also the highest in the tournament and he overtook legendary Virat Kohli's record for most sixes by an Indian in a single IPL.
Since then, he has made his international debut with his first series being against Zimbabwe after IPL, in which he smashed a quickfire ton withi 47 balls. However, his returns have been inconsistent, standing at 256 runs in 11 innings at an average of 23.27, strike rate of over 171, with a century and a fifty and just three scores of 20 or more.
Shining bright in T20s, he ended 2024 as India's second-highest run-scoring batter in the format with 1,129 runs in 38 innings at an average of 31.36, with strike rate of 198.07, two centuries and six fifties. His best score is 106*.
While Abhishek has a long way to go in other formats and even in T20s with regards to consistency, performance against pacers and grounded game, India should invest in him as their next opener as he could very well be their best bet for leading a new, attack-oriented generation of T20Is, where scoring rates and sixes are top two priorities.
-Gus Atkinson (England)
Though Gus Atkinson got some white-ball experience last year last year ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, the young pacer truly arrived this year when he was included in the West Indies series.
The home series against West Indies was the farewell series for legendary James Anderson, who retired after the first Test at Lords' bringing his career to full circle. In a passing of touch performance, Atkinson took the baton from the 42-year-old, taking 12 wickets in his debut Test, taking not one, but two five-wicket hauls in a Test innings at Lord's, a ten-wicket match haul. Later, during Sri Lanka series, he scored an attacking 118 in 115 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes, becoming the part of elite company to take five-wicket haul, ten-wicket haul and a century at Lord's.
Later, during the New Zealand series away from home, a hat-trick made him the fastest player to secure a five-wicket haul, ten-fer, century and hat-trick in Tests in just 10 Tests.
Now in 11 Tests this year, Atkinson took 52 wickets at an average of 22.15, with best figures of 7/45. He secured three five-wicket hauls and one ten-fer. With the bat, he has made 352 runs in 16 innings, averaging 23.46, with a century to his name. His strike rate is 79.10.
-William O'Rourke (New Zealand)
With the golden generation of Kiwi pacers: Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry slowly riding into the sunset, Kiwis have a worthy heir to these stars in form of William O'Rourke, the 23-year-old, six-foot-six inch tall pacer who took 40 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 24.45, with best figures of 5/34. He took two five-wicket hauls this year, against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Also a very crucial spell of his, figures of 4/22 against India in Bengaluru set up the tone for Kiwis first-ever series win in India and India's first Test series loss at home in 12 years, a historic 0-3 whitewash. In 10 Tests, he took 36 wickets at an average of 24.80.
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Nitish Kumar Reddy (India)
The 21-year-old all-rounder's rise has been one of the heartwarming stories of this year. With his parents, particularly his father, sacrificing heavily on personal and professional front for their son's cricket, Reddy has paid them back in plenty during his first few months as an international player.
After a breakout IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 303 runs in 13 matches with two fifties and taking three wickets, Nitish made his India debut against Bangladesh in October, slamming 74 of 34 balls, with four boundaries and seven sixes in his second match.
After being selected into the Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite his inexperience and not-so-exciting red-ball stats, he proved his doubters wrong with a dream series so far, having made 294 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 49.00 and three wickets, including some fiery cameos and a memorable century at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Boxing Day Test with his family watching him from the stands.
Whether Nitish emerges as a strong pace-bowling all-round back up to Hardik Pandya is something only time will tell, but there is a lot of promise. (ANI)