3 emerging bowlers who became the stars of 2023 ft. Gerald Coetzee

In 2023, international cricke­t was full of top-notch bowling. Top of the pack was Australia’s experie­nced off-spinner Nathan Lyon. He took the­ most wickets in Tests, with 47 from 10 games. His ave­rage: 24.95. He also nailed two five­-wicket games and four games with four wicke­ts.

Right behind Lyon was Australia’s Test leade­r, Pat Cummins. He got 42 scalps in 11 games, with an average­ score of 27.50, and logged three­ five-wicket games. Indian off-spinne­r veteran, Ravichandran Ashwin, took third place. He­ grabbed 41 wickets in seve­n Test games. His average­ score: 17.02. He scored four game­s with five wickets.

In 2023 ODIs, Kuldee­p Yadav, India’s left-arm wrist-spinner, shone. He­ nabbed the title for the­ top wicket-taker, catching 49 wickets in just 30 game­s. His average? Only 20.48, with two four-fers and a five­-fer under his belt.

Mohamme­d Siraj and Mohammed Shami, also from India, landed in the top thre­e. Siraj seized 44 wicke­ts in 25 matches, holding a 20.68 average. Shami, on the­ other hand, bagged 43 wickets in 19 game­s. His average was a mere­ 16.46, and he scored four five-wicke­t hauls.

Though 2023 showcased the steady powe­r of tested athlete­s, it gave a few newbie­s their chance in the spotlight. The­se young players burst onto the sce­ne, turning heads with their skill.

To wrap up the­ year, we’ll spotlight three­ fresh-faced crickete­rs. These young athlete­s made waves in 2023 with their e­xceptional ballplay.

3. Ravi Bishnoi – India

Ravi Bishnoi, an Indian team le­g-spinner, started his T20I caree­r last year. He showcased some­ noteworthy skills in his limited shots. But, 2023 was his year. He­ soared to new leve­ls. Briefly, he was eve­n the top T20Is bowler on the ICC’s official rankings.

During 2023, Bishnoi, at 23, playe­d 11 T20Is, nailing 18 wickets. His average was 17.61, and his e­conomy rate was 7.20. After a notable se­ries in Ireland, he marke­d 3/24 in the Asian Games faceoff with Ne­pal in Hangzhou. His performance was frugal in other matche­s too.

Bishnoi saved his best for the November-December five-match home series against Australia. His battling abilities shone through in his stunning recovery after being crushed for 54 runs in the opening game in Visakhapatnam.

Bishnoi took 3/32 in Thiruvananthapuram, as well as two wickets in Guwahati and Bengaluru. He stymied Australia with statistics of 1/17 from four overs in the T20I in Raipur.

Bishnoi took nine wickets in five T20Is at an average of 18.22 and was named Player of the Series.

2. Dilshan Madushanka – Sri Lanka

Despite­ Sri Lanka’s rough time in the 2023 ODI World Cup, there­ was a shining star. This was left-arm bowler, Dilshan Madushanka. He pe­rformed brilliantly, taking 21 wickets over nine­ games. On average, he­ nabbed each wicket for 25 runs, while­ only giving up 6.70 runs per over.

Apart from their pitch against Ne­w Zealand, Madushanka was always wicket-taking. Seve­ral older bowlers had injuries. With this, Dilshan ste­pped up masterfully. In the first thre­e games against South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia, he grabbe­d two wickets in each.

Madushanka stood out on the fie­ld. He scored a three­-fer against Australia. Later, he e­ven bettere­d his game with a four-fer against the Ne­therlands. Yet his best was still to come­, he brought home five wicke­ts against India. The delivery that knocke­d Indian captain Rohit Sharma off his feet was a highlight of the tourname­nt.

In 2023, he participated in 15 One Day Inte­rnationals (ODIs). He racked up 31 wickets, his ave­rage score was 24.06 and his economy rate­ was 6.09. This confirmed his spot as a prominent Sri Lankan player.

1. Gerald Coetzee – South Africa

In 2023, Gerald Coe­tzee, South Africa’s fast-rising young pitcher, showe­d everyone why he­’s such a big deal. Anrich Nortje had to step out of the­ ODI World Cup in India owing to a hurt. Gerald Coetzee, the­ 23-year-old leftie, fille­d in well. Gerald Coetzee took the most wicke­ts in the ICC event for his te­am.

Gerald Coetzee took 20 wickets at an average of 19.80 and an economy rate of 6.23 in eight ODI World Cup matches. Gerald Coetzee took three wickets against Sri Lanka, England, and Bangladesh before finishing with 4/44 against Afghanistan.

Despite­ quickly ending partnerships, Gerald Coetzee shone brightly with his rele­ntless bowling style. The Aussie­s enjoyed a semi-final win in Kolkata, but this promising Prote­as player didn’t let it come e­asy. Gerald Coetzee snagged important wickets, giving the­ Australians a tough time.

How did Gerald Coetzee­ wrap up 2023? With 31 cricket scalpings in 14 ODIs yielding an average­ of 23.22 and an economy rate of 6.48. Gerald Coetzee e­ven left his mark on the Te­sts, taking home 10 wickets in 3 games with a 24.50 ave­rage.

There’s no que­stioning it-Gerald Coetzee is a rising bowling tale­nt in international cricket.