It’s been a while since the Champions Trophy was last played – it has gone unscheduled since 2017 when Pakistan won it in England – but it is back, and it’s being played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates starting this Wednesday.
There’s quite a lot of excitement about the event as it is the second most prestigious 50-over event that the ICC organizes (after the World Cup).
It’s not a tournament to be scoffed at – indeed, it is the only major ICC event that South Africa has ever won. It is also a great place for players to make names for themselves as the global spotlight shines on them. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at five up-and-coming stars who we are backing for big things this tournament.
1. Ryan Rickelton (South Africa)
He is not a youngster, but he is still making his way in the international game, having been on the periphery of the Proteas set-up for a while. Fortune has shone on the MI Cape Town opener in recent times. He banged a massive 259 in the New Year Test against Pakistan and having recovered from a minor injury, he carried that form into the SA20 competition, where he was the tournament’s fourth highest scorer. But it wasn’t just the runs he scored in SA20, it was the speed with which he did it and the assurance with which he played. He averaged 48 and ended the tournament with a strike rate of 178.72. Franchise T20 is a step down from full-blown international cricket, but only just. Rickelton has shown he has the temperament and form to shine in Pakistan, and the Proteas are rightfully expecting big things of him.
2. Varun Chakravarthy (India)
India has arrived for the tournament with probably the strongest squad of all the sides there. Even without the injured Jasprit Bumrah, they boast extraordinary depth in every department. There is one name included in the squad who might not be familiar to many, and that is leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy, a relative newcomer to the international game. Varun has 18 T20I to his name, and he averages 14.57 in the format – he was a huge thorn in England’s side in the recently concluded series. He’s played just a single ODI, the second of the three ODIs against England in the recently completed series. He returned figures of one for 54 in that game, but he will be looking to make an impact in Pakistan. He won’t be the first-choice spinner for India, but look out for him, he is the real deal, and he could be a surprise package.
3. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
A player on the rise, Ravindra is the complete white-ball package. He is good in the field, he can bowl, and he can bat at the top of the order or in the middle order. He gives the Black Caps options and flexibility. He injured himself during the Tri-series against South Africa and Pakistan when he was hit in the face while fielding, but he should be packed in time for the start of the tournament. At 25-years-old he has some good experience, and he has played 29 ODI’s where he boasts an average of 40.41. It is always easiest to score runs when you are part of a strong batting line-up, and that is exactly the situation in which Ravindra finds himself. With Daryl Mitchell and Will Young both ranked in the ICC’s top 20 and with Kane Williamson, one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, Ravindra is surrounded on all sides by class and experience.
4. Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan)
Still just 20 years old, Noor, who played for the Durban Super Giants in the recently completed SA20, is the spinner set to emerge from the shadow of the world’s number one ODI bowler – his countryman, Rashid Khan. Noor, a left-arm wrist spin, made his first-class debut when he was still just 14. He is a popular signing in Franchise T20 cricket and has played over 130 games in the format. In ODI’s, he has been capped just 10 times, and at this stage of his career, his figures are not stellar –
nine wickets from ten games at an average of 57.22. But he is a man with age on his side and with nothing to lose. As much as Afghanistan is no longer considered minnows of the game, they are not yet being tipped to win tournaments like this, so there is a degree of pressure taken off his shoulders. He will be employed wisely by his skipper and will learn plenty from this tournament – in SA20, he was the sixth-highest wicket-taker, which is no mean feat considering he was playing for a struggling side.
5. Jake Fraser-McGurk (Australia)
Still, just 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk is a man looking to transition from the domestic game into the international. He has arrived on the international stage with a big reputation, known to be a big-hitting batsman at the top of the order. Sadly, at the moment, his strike-rate is a whole lot better than his average – from his seven games to date, his ODI average is 14, and his strike-rate is 132.43. He is part of an under-strength Australian side who have been hit by injuries and retirements. But that could be a good thing for Fraser-McGurk as there is a genuine opportunity for him to shine at the top of the order. Australia was badly beaten (twice) by Sri Lanka in their warm-up campaign, with Fraser-McGurk failing in both games. But he got the nod to start, and if he gets to play in Pakistan, where the wickets should be a little more batsman-friendly, it could be his opportunity to shine.
