Zaheer
Khan
He's fast, he's accurate and he
doesn't give an inch. Zaheer Khan is India's first genuine fast
bowler after Javagal Srinath and in his short international career has
already impressed one and all with his talent, temperament and aggression.
The left arm quickie represents Baroda at the domestic level and played
a stellar role in his team's triumph in the final of this season's Ranji
Trophy, grabbing five all-important second innings wickets. Zaheer's strength
lies in his ability to get early wickets and break the back of the opposition's
batting order. He's also proficient with the old ball, with reverse swing
an important asset in his armoury.
Hemang Badani
Hemang Badani's selection
in the Indian team ahead of Vinod Kambli last year had raised a number
of eyebrows. Sure he's gifted, but does he have the temperament, his critics
asked? In just over fifteen games at the international level, Badani would
like to believe that he has answered his critics and silenced his detractors.
The Tamil Nadu lad first impressed
with his steely temperament in the one-day series against Zimbabwe when
he cracked a couple of match-winning half centuries under pressure cooker
conditions. He followed up these efforts with a swashbuckling hundred versus
the mighty Australians at Pune and a couple of other useful knocks in the
same series.
Badani's good form of late has made
him a serious claimant for the void left by Ajay Jadeja in the Indian middle
order, ahead of Kambli and others like Virender Shewag. He is also reminiscent
of Jadeja in the running between wickets and fielding departments, where
he is simply brilliant. But what is even more exciting is that Badani,
unlike Jadeja, has the technique to back him at the Test level as well,
and this can augur only well for Indian cricket.
Reetinder
Singh Sodhi
A dashing lower order batsman and
a menacing medium pacer, Reetinder Singh Sodhi stormed onto the
domestic scene after leading India's Under-15 side to victory in the Lombard
Junior World Challenge in England in '96. Since then, he has been a consistent
performer for his home state Punjab in the Ranji Trophy both with bat and
ball with best efforts of 200*(vs Delhi at Patiala) and 5-30 respectively.
Sodhi has played for India (including two half centuries) but is yet to
cement his place in the squad. Many feel that he has not been given adequate
chances by the wise men of Indian cricket and that he is a victim of wayward
selection policies. But all this hasn't affected the young Sikh; he is
as determined as ever and would like to believe that at a time when all
rounders are a rare commodity in Indian cricket, a permanent place in the
Indian eleven is not very far away.
Mohammed
Kaif
Mohammed Kaif made his Ranji
Trophy debut in the 1997-98 season for Uttar Pradesh and his consistent
performances with the bat at this level together with his handy off spin
won him a berth in the national team in a relatively short span of time.
His elegant strokeplay and ability under pressure has already won admirers
at the highest level and it would be very surprising if he isn't a regular
face in the Indian squad in the years to come.
Kaif was first noticed in the Lombard
World Challenge (U-15), but really made his mark as captain of the Indian
team which lifted the Under 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in early 2000. Later
that year, he won a place in the India A team which toured the Caribbean
and was impressive with some solid performances in unfamiliar conditions.
Kaif is only twenty and along with
Reetinder Singh Sodhi is a very bright prospect for India in the years
to come. |
