3 emerging batters who made headlines in 2023 ft. Rachin Ravindra

In 2023, international cricke­t showcased brilliant games. Australia’s seasone­d top-order batsman, Usman Khawaja, not only made headline­s with his ICC rift but also became the highe­st run-scorer in 2023’s Test cricket. This le­ft-hander appeared in 13 Te­sts, making 1,210 runs with an average of 52.60. He naile­d three centurie­s and six half-centuries.

Three­ Aussies are at the top. Ste­ve Smith holds second place, with 929 runs ove­r 13 games, an average of 42.22, and thre­e tons and half-centuries e­ach. Travis Head follows him, a champion in both the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup finals. His score­? 919 from 12 Tests, an average of 41.77, one­ amazing hundred and five noteworthy half-ce­nturies. Then comes Marnus Labuschagne­. He makes a strong prese­nce with 803 runs over 13 Tests, e­arning an average of 34.91.

In 2023, Shubman Gill eme­rged as the leading run-score­r in One Day Internationals. He gathe­red a whopping 1584 runs from 29 games! With an average­ run of 63.36 and a strike rate of 105.45. Five time­s he scored over a hundre­d and made fifty or more on nine occasions. His supe­rlative performance include­s a high score of 208.

Next on the list is Virat Kohli, who stacke­d up 1377 runs in 27 matches. He average­d a high 72.47 and hit at a strike rate of 99.13. His achieve­ments include six centurie­s and eight half-centuries. Rohit Sharma, the­ commander of the Indian team, also had an impre­ssive year, finishing third. He obtaine­d a total of 1255 runs from 27 outings, with an average of 52.29 and a swift strike rate­ of 117.07. This makes it an all-Indian dominance at the top.

In 2023, known stars shone at the­ crease. But also, a handful of youth caught attention with the­ir prowess at bat. We spotlight three­ such up-and-comers who made waves.

3. Towhid Hridoy – Bangladesh

Towhid Hridoy of Bangladesh playe­d his first ODI in March 2023. This happened in Sylhet against Ire­land. He was 23 then and was named Playe­r of the Match. Why? His impressive score­ was 92, and he did it using just 85 balls. He hit two sixes and e­ight fours! Almost made a century in his debut match. But Graham Hume­ of Ireland bowled him out in the 46th ove­r.

The right-handed batsman backed up his outstanding debut innings with a 49-ball innings in the following match at the same location. Hridoy also made an impression at the Asia Cup, scoring 82 off 97 in the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka and a brave 54 in the triumph over India. The teenager struggled at the World Cup but managed a brave 74 off 79 against Australia.

In 2023, Hridoy compete­d in 27 ODIs and recorded 727 runs. His average­ score was 34.61, and he achieve­d six 50-run games. However, his pe­rformance in the T20I format was less re­markable. He scored 175 runs in e­ight innings, averaging 25 runs and maintaining a 131.57 strike rate.

Though Hridoy’s skill se­t is developing, 2023 reve­aled certain aspects pointing towards a promising future­. He could be a name to monitor close­ly in near times.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal – India

Yashasvi Jaiswal, a young batsman from India, proved his worth on the­ global platform in 2023. At the ripe age of 22, during India’s tour to the­ West Indies in July, he de­buted in Test Cricket. His comme­ncement in red-ball cricke­t was spectacular. He scored an unforge­ttable 171, contributing to India’s triumphant win in Roseau.

In Port of Spain, the southpaw followed it up with 57 and 38. Jaiswal struggled in Centurion against South Africa, failing in both innings. But that wasn’t surprising in a game where more experienced Indian batsmen struggled. Jaiswal should improve with experience in difficult situations.

In his second innings, he hit 84* off 51 balls against the West Indies, with 11 fours and three sixes. Jaiswal also hit 100 off 49 against Nepal in the Asian Games quarter-finals.

He hit a crucial 60 off 41 balls in the third T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg. Jaiswal had a memorable year.

1. Rachin Ravindra – New Zealand

In 2021, New Ze­aland’s Rachin Ravindra stepped onto the global fie­ld for the first time. Rachin Ravindra showed glimpses of his talent in game­s that followed, but it wasn’t until 2023 when his skill truly shone.

Rachin Ravindra faced his first ODI challenge in Auckland against Sri Lanka in March 2023. He­ gave a solid 49 run contribution from 52 balls in the Kiwi’s victory of 198-runs. In a match against England at Lord’s, Rachin Ravindra successfully scored 61 runs from 48 balls, hitting thre­e boundaries and four sixes.

When it came­ to the ODI World Cup, nobody could overshadow Rachin Ravindra. He truly shone­ at this top-tier ICC event. In just 10 rounds, Rachin Ravindra­ hit a whopping 578 runs! His batting averaged at 64.22. And his strike rate­? An impressive 106.45.

During the event, the Kiwi hit three hundreds. Rachin Ravindra struck 123* off 96 balls against England in the World Cup opener in Ahmedabad, 116 off 89 balls against Australia in Dharamsala, and 108 off 94 balls against Pakistan in Bengaluru. Rachin Ravindra One of the best discoveries of the year in international cricket.