Year Ender 2024: Abhishek Sharma to Harshit Rana – Young Stars Who Burst On The Scene in Indian Cricket

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Like every year, there were some highs in Indian cricket even in 2024 as some young stars broke into the senior national team after impressing during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the domestic circuit.

Right from the start of the year, there were a few players who earned their maiden call ups to the national side like Rajat Patidar, B Sai Sudharsan and Sarfaraz Khan, while a domestic stalwart, Akash Deep also received his cap in Test cricket.

While the aforementioned names got their international caps, there were few young stars who made all the noise and burst into the scene in Indian cricket in the year 2024, especially with their performances in IPL 2024. Here is a look at 6 youngsters who announced their arrivals in 2024:

1. Abhishek Sharma

The 24-year-old Punjab batter, who was on the fringes in recent years in terms of form or recognition, absolutely burst into the scene with his domestic run followed by peak level performance in the IPL 2024 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In IPL 2024, Abhishek, a left-handed batter, who can bowl slow left-arm orthodox, showcased his six-hitting ability. He finished the tournament with the most number of maximums - 42 sixes, and later took the big hitting ability into his international career.

The southpaw earned his first call up after some of the T20 World Cup-winning stars took a break following the show-piece tournament. While he failed on his debut innings, Abhishek soon responded with a century in the second match and has retained his spot as an opener in the T20I side.

2. Mayank Yadav

The Delhi pacer burst into the scene during the IPL after he consistently clocked speeds over 150Kmph, turning up for the Lucknow Super Giants. The 22-year-old Mayank earned a lot plaudits for his speed, but endured most part of the campaign hampered by injury.

Despite his injury struggle, the youngster earned his Team India call up after calls from several pundits for his swift inclusion in the senior team due to his raw pace. However, injury once again struck the speedster, who is expected to return next year.

3. Nitish Kumar Reddy

The 21-year-old Andhra all-rounder, who is a batter that can bowl medium pace, a much needed commodity across formats, announced his arrival, representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad. While he had sporadic performances, the all-rounder definitely got everyone's attention in IPL 2024.

With India in need of a near like-to-like replacement for Hardik Pandya, Nitish earned his call up for the Zimbabwe tour, but was forced to pull out due to injury. The Vizag-born player, however, soon made his debut for the national side, having recovered from the niggle.

Following his debut in T20Is, Nitish also earned a surprise call for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, where he has impressed with his fearless approach as a batter in the two Tests so far in challenging conditions.

4. Riyan Parag

The 23-year-old Assam batter, who can bowl leg break, has been banging on the selectors doors since the last season. Riyan Parag's time finally came in the Zimbabwe tour when the senior players rested following the T20 World Cup exertions.

Although he may have not taken his chances by the scruff of the neck, Parag's all-round ability and his composure when batting can't be discounted. It was his performance in IPL 2024 that earned him his Team India call up. He had scored 573 runs in the season with 33 sixes.

5. Dhruv Jurel

The 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Uttar Pradesh may have not banged the door like the others in IPL 2024, but he sure took his chance whenever there was an opportunity to showcase his ability with the bat for Rajasthan Royals.

While he earned his first call up into the Indian Test set up, Jurel also earned a spot in the T20I side during the Zimbabwe tour. In his limited international opportunity, Jurel has paid back with impressive knocks in the Tests against England, and later became a permanent fixture in the India red ball set up.

6. Harshit Rana

Yet another pacer from Delhi, Rana earned his break into the national side via the IPL, having played a crucial role in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) title win in 2024. While he waited for his first cap, the 22-year-old booked a spot in the India team to tour Down Under, where he made his debut against Australia.

In IPL 2024, the right-arm pacer claimed 19 wickets, playing supporting role to the likes of Mitchell Starc and Andre Russell among others. His efforts earned him a call up to the senior national team for whom he has played 2 Tests so far, taking 4 wickets.