The Vijay Hazare Trophy has been creating quite a buzz this season with double hundreds and compelling individual performances. With the competition edging towards a finish, we take a look at five candidates who might be closing in on an Indian team call-up based on their form in this tournament.
Sanju Samson
The Kerala wicket-keeper batsman made a roaring statement with a scintillating double hundred in the season. In 8 matches in the tournament this year, Samson has 410 runs at an average of 58.57. With Rishabh Pant's ODI returns tapering down, Samson has a realistic chance of edging him in the national team.
Suryakumar Yadav
The pyrotechnics and lit cover drives aside, Suryakumar Yadav is a compact, reliable batsman who is flexible in terms of his role in the side. The Mumbaikar has had a stupendous Vijay Hazare Trophy so far and it could well pave way for an India berth, something that eluded him despite his performances for the Mumbai franchise in the Indian T20 League. Suryakumar has 226 runs in 7 matches this season but crucially has scored his runs at a strike rate of 154.79, the third best in the tournament, and an average of 113, the best in the tournament.
Shivam Dube
The big hitting all-rounder made waves in the domestic circuit last season itself but slipped down the radar after inconsistent returns, albeit due to a poor role given for the Bangalore based franchise in the Indian T20 League. Dube has 177 runs in five innings at 88.5 in this year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy with his runs coming at a strike rate of 146.28. He has also taken four wickets while going at a very reasonable economy rate.
Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep Sharma's new ball ability is often raved about. He has showcased it multiple times in the Indian T20 League and despite the odd call-up for India, he never retained it and was quickly dropped. India now have their eyes on Deepak Chahar in a similar role but with the T20 World Cup coming up, they would be testing the waters and a swing bowler like Sandeep can be invaluable. His Vijay Hazare returns of 17 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 13.53 further his credentials.
Nitish Rana
Rana has 278 runs in 7 matches this tournament for Delhi and is their second highest run-scorer. He has averaged 55.6 while scoring a hundred and carries on his good form from the Indian T20 League where he shone for the Kolkata franchise. It is his all-round skills that make Rana an exciting option, one who could replace Kedar Jadhav in the national setup. Rana has 12 wickets in 7 matches this season and has out-bowled his spin counterpart, Pawan Negi. At just 25 years of age, his future appears bright.
Featured image courtesy: AFP / Prakash Singh
