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Playing for your country is undoubtedly the biggest moment in the career of any cricketer. There are players who fulfill their dreams of playing international cricket very early in their career. However, everyone's story is not the same. With the growth of T20 leagues like Indian Premier League, cricketers across the globe, especially domestic cricketers, get a golden chance to prove their worth while rubbing shoulders with the best in the business.
IPL has provided a solid platform for various Indian cricketers over the years, making way for their international debuts. From Hardik Pandya to Jasprit Bumrah to Varun Chakravarthy, all the cricketers are product of the cash-rich league and it has continuously contributed in unearthing some incredible talent.
With the Men in Blue likely to rest a few players for the 3-match T20I series against New Zealand in November, it opens up doors for few players to get an India call-up considering their recent performances in IPL 2021. Considering the situation and the form of players, here is a list of 3 exciting names who could soon be making their debuts for India:
1. Harshal Patel
The RCB pacer took the IPL 2021 by storm as he ended the season with 32 wickets in 15 matches, equaling Dwayne Bravo's record of most number of wickets in an IPL season. Harshal Patel impressed everyone with his different variations which made it very challenging for the batsmen to score against him.
Despite bowling most of the overs at the death, his economy of 8.14 is also quite praise-worthy and the 30-year-old is certainly one of the players who could prove to be a T20 specialist for India.
2. Venkatesh Iyer
The KKR all-rounder has been the story of IPL 2021 season. Not many people had heard the name of Venkatesh Iyer before the UAE leg of the tournament but the whole cricket fraternity knows the 26-year-old very well now. He has amassed 320 runs in 9 matches and has been the architect behind KKR's incredible run to the finals of the tournament.
The medium pacer also impressed everyone with his bowling skills as he managed to take 3 wickets in the league stages. After being termed as an all-rounder who could be valuable for India in future, Iyer looks very likely to be handed his national cap very soon.
3. Avesh Khan
The DC fast-bowler was another player who had a memorable IPL 2021 campaign. With his ability to ball quick and hit the yorker length consistently, Avesh Khan proved to be a nightmare for various top batsmen across all teams. He ended the tournament with 24 wickets in 16 matches, along with a magnificent economy of only 7.37.
The 24-year-old has quite a lot of variations in his bowling armoury which makes him an exciting prospect for India going ahead. He will be one of the players who will definitely be seen in Indian colours very soon.
All 3 players have been named as net bowlers for India
While all the three players are likely to get an India call-up for New Zealand series later this year, it must be noted that the trio will be present in UAE to assist the Men in Blue for 2021 T20 World Cup preparations. Hence, there is a very slight possibility (in case of injuries or COVID-19 scenario) that any of the three mentioned players might get a chance to make their debut for India in the mega event itself.