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Irfan Pathan, the former Indian all-rounder turned commentator and analyst for Star Sports during the IPL 2024 season, has highlighted several uncapped Indian players destined to become future stars for the national team. Throughout his coverage, Pathan provided candid insights into the tournament’s proceedings, offering praise where due and constructive criticism where necessary. While he didn’t shy away from critiquing Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, he also commended talents like Rishabh Pant and Riyan Parag. Moving forward, Pathan is set to continue his analytical role with Star Sports for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States and the West Indies, commencing on June 1st.
Irfan Pathan has singled out Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, and several other players as noteworthy talents to watch out for.
Irfan Pathan recently shared his insights on X (formerly Twitter), identifying a group of uncapped Indian players destined to make significant impacts in international cricket in the future.
Among those highlighted were Sunrisers Hyderabad’s versatile opener and all-rounder Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy. He also pointed out Kolkata Knight Riders’ seamer Harshit Rana, Lucknow Super Giants’ quick Mayank Yadav, and Rajasthan Royals’ talented batsman Riyan Parag as individuals worth keeping an eye on.
Sharma’s stellar performance in IPL 2024 was particularly noteworthy, as he surpassed the 400-run mark for only the second time in his Premier League career, accumulating an impressive 484 runs from 16 matches at an astounding strike rate of 204.22, with three half-centuries to his credit.
Meanwhile, Nitish Reddy, known for his prowess as a fast-bowling all-rounder, showcased his abilities by scoring 303 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of nearly 143. However, his bowling figures, though limited, highlighted areas for improvement with three wickets and a high economy rate of 11.6.
Harshit Rana emerged as a revelation for Kolkata Knight Riders during their successful IPL title campaign, claiming an impressive tally of 19 wickets from 13 matches at an economy of 9.08 and an average of 20.16, with a best bowling performance of 3/24.
Mayank Yadav’s raw pace caught the attention of many, but his season was disrupted by injuries despite his promising starts.
Lastly, Riyan Parag showcased his batting prowess throughout IPL 2024, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer with an impressive total of 573 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 149.22 and an impressive average of 52.09. His campaign included four half-centuries, with a highest score of 84*.
“Now that IPL is done my view on few Indian domestic players. Riyan parag and Abhishek sharma from batting prospective. Looks good & on the bowling front Harshit Rana looks ready for the next level. Mayank Yadav is another one who is going to make it big but important to have patience and good process with him. Nitish ready looks good from all rounder front,” Irfan Pathan wrote on X.
