LISTICLE
Follow UsThe ACC T20 Emerging Asia Cup 2024 is set to get underway in Oman and India A will kick-start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Muscat on October 19 (Saturday). Ahead of the big clash, let's take a look at some of the players to watch out for.
It's vital to note that players who are capped at the senior level have not been considered.
Anshul Kamboj
Fast bowler Anshul Kamboj rose to prominence recently in the Duleep Trophy, where he registered the second-best bowling figures (8/69) for a pacer in the tournament's history. He finished as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, finishing with 16 wickets at 17.12 for India C.
Before that, he also played three matches for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, picking up two wickets. He has been on the rise in first-class cricket, especially in the last two seasons. In the 2023-24 season, the Haryana pacer picked up 17 wickets at 23.58 and in the current 2024-25 season, he already has 20 scalps at 15.65.
Overall, in T20s, he has 13 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 8.23.
Aaqib Khan
Aaqib Khan made an instant impact in domestic cricket, picking up a five-wicket haul in only his second Ranji Trophy game against Himachal Pradesh in Lucknow in 2020 at the age of 17. The Uttar Pradesh pacer further proved himself at the Duleep Trophy where he picked up eight wickets at 17.87 in India A's successful campaign. He is someone who can rattle the batters with his pace.
He has not played many T20 matches, with just four wickets in three games, and this tournament will allow him to showcase his skills at a higher level.
Nehal Wadhera
Hard-hitting batter Nehal Wadhera showed off his finishing prowess at the IPL for MI. He has been exceptional, batting lower down the order, scoring at a strike rate of 146.3 at five, 155.2 at six and 168.1 at seven in his two IPL seasons. MI did well in scouting him from the Sher-e-Punjab tournament, where he showed amazing striking skills. His runs in T20 cricket have come at a strike rate of 146.64, which includes four fifties in 22 innings.
Wadhera also played a key role in Punjab's successful Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, slamming 175 runs at 58.33 to go with a strike rate of 162.03. Count on him to have yet another smashing tournament.
Ramandeep Singh
Ramandeep Singh played plenty of cameos for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their triumphant IPL 2024 campaign, finishing with 125 runs at a strike rate of 202.61. He represented MI in the 2023 edition as well, where he also chipped in with the ball, finishing with six wickets with his medium-pace.
A powerful hitter, the 27-year-old strikes at 166.05 in T20 cricket. The onus will be on him and Wadhera to finish games for India A.
Rasikh Salam
Jammu & Kashmir pacer Rasikh Salam played just three matches in his first three IPL seasons for Delhi and Mumbai. However, Delhi Capitals showed faith in him, and he represented the franchise in eight matches in 2024, picking up nine wickets at a slightly higher economy rate of 10.97. He finished with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.76 in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, including a career-best of 6/31 against Chhattisgarh.
The Emerging Asia Cup will provide the 24-year-old an opportunity to further hone his skills in different conditions.
Hrithik Shokeen
24-year-old Hrithik Shokeen was an unknown commodity when Mumbai secured his services for the base price of INR 20 lakh in 2022. However, he has had very little success with the franchise till now. He has managed just five wickets in 13 matches across three seasons and has had very little impact with the bat as well.
However, he has been far better in the longest format and has, in fact, played for India A against South Africa A in 2019, where he picked up 10 wickets in the two unofficial Tests. Shokeen will hope that he plays more domestic cricket for Delhi this season, and his stint in Oman could further strengthen his case.
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