The Rohit Sharma – Rahul Dravid era of Indian cricket has started. While the T20I series against New Zealand was the beginning of it, the tournaments against West Indies and Sri Lanka has got the era kickstarted. A few players have already made their entry into Team India in this era. In this article, we take a look at five players who have already made their debut in the Rohit-Dravid era.
Usually, the coach-captain combination defines the goal or objective of a squad. They will have a vision, a philosophy and a way of making things happen. Hence, in order to fit into their vision, a few players come into the picture. In line with this, some players have got their chances already.
1) Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel is one of the players who have already made their debut in the Rohit-Dravid era. He played his first game for India in the T20I series against New Zealand in November last year. After a spectacular show in IPL 2021, it was expected that Harshal would play for India. However, many doubted if he could replicate that form. So far, though, the Haryana all-rounder has been brilliant. While his display with the ball has been impressive, it needs to be seen if the management will make use of more of his batting abilities.
2) Venkatesh Iyer
Although Venkatesh Iyer was introduced as a net bowler by the previous management, he got to make his debut for India under Rohit-Dravid. The initial games did not go well for Iyer but in the series against West Indies, he impressed many with his cameos in the lower middle-order. Now, the management is exploring his bowling skills and it is certain that he will get a long rope to cement his spot in the XI.
3) Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan had a good IPL 2021 season and he was in line for an India debut. Many predicted that he would play against the Kiwis in November 2021 but that did not happen. The Madhya Pradesh pacer finally put on the India jersey against West Indies. He is an youngster, has multiple variations and will be backed to come good.
4) Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda did well in the domestic events and his selection came as a surprise. Nevertheless, Hooda did decently well and he is someone who seems to have been handpicked by Rahul Dravid. Deepak is a multi-versatile cricketer and adds balance to the XI. He is a good player of spin and this will help India in limited-overs cricket.
5) Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi is also one of the players who have already made their debut in the Rohit-Dravid era. The young Rajasthan leg-spinner made his debut against West Indies. He was terrific in the initial games and going by his performance, Ravi is set to be in Team India for a long time. He shall be useful in Australia and will directly compete with Yuzvendra Chahal for a spot in the playing XI at the T20 World Cup.
