Five U-25 Indian wicket-keepers who could replace Dhoni

Nitin Fernandes 12:28 07/09/2016
MS Dhoni is still the man in charge when it comes to limited overs cricket

Earlier this year, when questioned by an Australian journalist about retirement from international cricket, MS Dhoni turned the tables and asked the journalist what he thought of his fitness and if it met international standards. The answer that came back was nothing but validation for Dhoni, who has been hounded by retirement talk since he gave up his gloves in Test cricket in December 2014.

The Indian limited overs captain still has a lot to offer in the shorter formats of the game. But considering the workload he has put in over the decade, it’s difficult for one to see him continuing in international cricket for more than 2-3 years from now.

Wriddhiman Saha (the current Test keeper) and Naman Ojha are the strongest contenders to replace him currently, but with both on the wrong side of 30, it’s tough to see them getting a long run in the LOI setup in an Indian team after Dhoni hangs up his boots.

Here, we look at five under-25 wicket-keepers who could succeed Dhoni in the long-term in limited overs cricket:

SANJU SAMSON

Sanju Samson is one of the more familiar names on this list. The young Kerala wicket-keeper has already made a name for himself with some stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite a poor record in List A cricket, where he averages just 28.71, the Indian selectors seem to rate Samson highly which explains his selection in the India A team recently. He repaid the faith of the selectors and impressed Down Under, scoring two half-centuries.

The 21-year-old has already played one T20I for the Men in Blue and definitely has time on his side.

RISHABH PANT

The youngest player on this list, Rishabh Pant has a long way to go before he could be considered a good fit for the Indian senior team. The 18-year-old has played just three List A matches so far, but his performances at the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier this year made everyone stand up and take notice of his talent.

The IPL auction, which was held while the U19 World Cup was going on, saw Pant bought by the Delhi Daredevils for Rs 1.9 cr (around 1.05m AED) – a huge fee for someone who was yet to play a single T20 match at the senior level.

Pant is an opening batsman, in the mould of his idol Adam Gilchrist and loves to take the attack to the bowlers. In IPL 2016, he played 10 matches, scoring 198 runs at an impressive strike rate of 130.26.

KL RAHUL

Kannaur Lokesh Rahul is the most accomplished batsman on this list. Some scintillating form in 2016 has seen him play in all formats of the game for the Indian team.

In less than two years since making his international debut, the 24-year-old has a century in all formats of the game. He has also scored Test centuries in Australia, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

The only problem is that Rahul is not a specialist wicket-keeper and his poor keeping was criticized heavily during IPL 2016. The most likely scenario is that Rahul will continue playing as a specialist batsman.

SRIKAR BHARAT

Srikar Bharat made his name in Indian domestic cricket after slamming a triple century against Goa in the Ranji Trophy in February 2015. What was really impressive about the knock was that he was almost scoring at a strike rate of 100.

The 22-year-old Andhra lad hasn’t been at his best in List A and T20 cricket so far, but given his talent, one expects him to catch up soon.

Bharat might not be the most household of names but he has caught the attention of the selectors as his inclusion in one of the teams for the Duleep Trophy suggests.

ANKUSH BAINS

Just like Bharat, Ankush Bains is another young Indian wicket-keeper who has put in some exceptional performances in first-class cricket but has failed to replicate the same in List A and T20 cricket.

Bains has been picked by an IPL franchise over the last three seasons, but is yet to get a chance to play in the T20 league.

Still 20, he has got time on his side to correct his shortcomings in the shorter formats.

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