There are some amazing talents who are yet to showcase their full potential with the bat and here are top 10 batsmen that may get their chances in 2023.
With cricket all but becoming a batsman’s game in the modern definition, we are witnessing a meteoric rise in the number of technically sound and efficient batsmen. With the 2023 World Cup happening in India, almost all the teams will look forward to strengthen their batting, and for that they will need batters who have the right balance between fulfilling the role of an anchor as well as the aggressor.
With that in mind, we look at the top 10 batsmen to watch out for in 2023-
1. Shubman Gill
We start off with our very own Shubman Gill. Ever since his Victorious U-19 campaign, the Punjab boy was destined for great things in the international Circuit. With the right mix of technique, aggression, and the ability to play every shot in the book, Gill has cemented himself to be one of the key players in this Indian batting line-up for years to come. Gill has always been known to have a calm head over his shoulders, and that quality will be very much needed on the current iteration of this Indian team, especially with the world cup being held on home soil next year.
Shubman Gill, Image Credits: The Statesman
2. Dewald Brevis
Just like Shubman Gill, Brevis is another one who made his name in the U-19 World Cup. The young South African, who hasn’t played a single game on international level so far, set the stage alight with his batting, breaking Shikhar Dhawan’s 17-year record of scoring the most runs in the tournament. Brevis showed why he was called “Baby AB” in the IPL, where he unleashed a wide range of shots, some proper textbook shots, and some bordering on the outrageous. With Brevis only 19, and displaying such outrageous ability, he is the most talked-about cricketer in the South African cricket circuit since a certain AB De Villiers was active. He is definitely going to be an integral part of South Africa for many years to come.
3. Cameron Green
The latest Aussie sensation on the block, Cameron Green’s career has been carefully managed by the Aussie board, because they genuinely believe that he is one of the generational players in the Aussie cricket fraternity. In fact, such is his talent, that Ravichandran Ashwin believes that some IPL teams will “break the bank” for him in the upcoming auction. Based on his mayhem in the first T20 against India, it certainly feels like Ashwin is on the correct pathway. Green has already made himself as a regular in tests, and now he is on a Mission to become a regular in the limited-overs formats of the game. Based on his recent performances, he isn’t far away.
Cameron Green, Image Credits: Sporting News
4. Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The young Afghan sensation took the Asia Cup by storm with his tremendous display at the top of the order for Afghanistan. Gurbaz has been highly touted to be the latest wonderkid in Afghanistan cricket, and so far he has justified those expectations. Gurbaz has that aura of a matured batsman that belies his tender years with the amount of composure he shows on the pitch while batting, and with the amount of power-hitters that Afghanistan possess, his calmness could just be what they need to go to the next level.
5. Tristan Stubbs
Stubbs recently made headlines for becoming the most expensive player in the auctions that were held for the CSA T20 league, and rightly so. The burly right-hander has been one of the stars of the new generation of young and aggressive South African batsmen, who have been carefully mentored and nurtured in the domestic circuit. Such was his prowess in the domestic circuit, that he was immediately fast-tracked into the national side for the India series in June. While he did not get to face a single ball there, he showed the world what he was capable of when he unleashed carnage against England in the recently concluded T20 series against them. With a strike rate of close to 160 and a smart cricket brain to top it off, Stubbs could very well become the lynchpin of the South African batting in the near future.
6. Tim David
Tim David has earned the reputation of becoming a nightmare for some of the best bowlers in the world when it comes to franchise cricket. And now he will get the opportunity to cause mayhem upon bowlers in the international arena. The Australian international, who was born in Singapore, has officially switched allegiance to the defending T20 champions after laying waste to virtually every franchise league in the world. The fact that Ricky Ponting said that naming Tim David in the squad will almost certainly guarantee you a world cup is testament to the sheer talent and power that he possesses. His trajectory will be viewed by a lot of people around the world with great interest.
Tim David, Image Credits: Twelfth Man Times
7. Brandon King
When Brandon King scored the highest score in CPL history as an opener, a lot of the people in the Caribbean thought that he would be the rightful heir to replace an ageing Chris Gayle at the top of the order. But to everyone’s surprise, King has been shining for the West Indies, but in the middle-order. While king started off as a middle order batsman, he was transformed into an opener in the CPL by his then coach Johan Botha.
And while that impact made sure that he was fast-tracked into the national side in no time, he was dropped as quickly as he was selected after a string of dismal performances. But now, he is right at home in the middle order, playing knocks of composure and finesse, coupled with aggression when needed, just like his idol Ramnaresh Sarwan. At only 27, King is starting to show why he has been backed so much, and that serves well for a Windies side that seems to be in flux almost perpetually.
8. Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Bhanuka Rajapaksa is currently a cult hero in Sri Lanka, and arguably the only Rajapaksa who is loved by his people. The left-hander was all but banished from the side when Mickey Arthur was coach, but ever since new coach Chris Silverwood has arrived, the 30-year old has suddenly found wind in his sails again and is now at the top of his powers. Rajapaksa has tirelessly worked on his fitness, and is now reaping the rewards of his labour, and at the same time repaying the confidence of his coach. He was truly spectacular in the final of the Asia Cup, single-handedly putting Pakistan to the sword en route to the title, and if that knock is an indication of things to come, he is just getting started.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Image Credits: ESPNcricinfo
9. Pathum Nissanka
The young Sri Lankan has grown from strength to strength after notching a ton on his debut in test cricket. Nissanka is a confident young cricketer with the right balance of intelligence and technique. He does not have the brute force of the likes of Rajapaksa or his captain Shanaka, but has the class and quality to find boundaries at will, which enables him to accelerate as and when required. An anchor at the top of the innings, Nissanka is steadily turning out to be a valuable anchor for his side, and that augurs well for Sri Lanka in future tournaments as well as in test cricket.
10. Devon Conway
Devon Conway announced his arrival on the scene in the best possible way ever, by scoring a double century on debut at lord’s. From there on, he has taken leaps and bounds in his career with the Kiwis. He’s become one of the best all-format players for the blackcaps, and has been the catalyst as well as the aggressor right at the top of the order. With a lot of the current crop of top New Zealand cricketers refusing their central contracts in order to play leagues, and with the likes of Guptill not getting any younger, Conway could be the man at the top on whom the fortunes of the New Zealand side rest upon.