NEW DELHI: Former top-order batter Robin Uthappa believes that three uncapped, explosive youngsters — Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi — will “definitely” be in contention for a place in India’s squad for their T20 World Cup title defence at home next year. The recently concluded 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw franchises unearth several promising talents. While some emerged as prospects for the future, a few made a strong case for immediate inclusion in the national T20I setup.Punjab Kings’ dynamic opening pair, Priyansh and Prabhsimran, turned heads with their fearless and aggressive batting throughout the tournament. Joining them in the spotlight was 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who opened for Rajasthan Royals and made headlines with his blistering knocks that combined power with maturity.The rise of these young talents has created a healthy selection dilemma for India as they look to finalise their top order for the marquee tournament next year. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both of whom have been out of the T20I setup for over a year, are still in the mix. In their absence, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have formed a new and successful opening partnership.According to Uthappa, India should use the remaining T20 internationals ahead of the tournament to fine-tune their squad and ensure full fitness among key players.“Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, all of them will definitely be in contention for a World Cup spot. It’s about using the remaining T20s before the tournament to figure out the best 15-man squad. You already have Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, all Test players who can also thrive in T20s,” Uthappa said.
“Then there’s Sanju Samson. So it’s going to be a challenge figuring out who makes the cut. Fitness will play a key role — you want a fully fit squad going into a World Cup, and I’m sure that’s something the selectors and management will be closely monitoring,” he added.Prabhsimran had an impressive campaign, scoring 549 runs in 17 matches at an average of 32.29 and a strike rate of over 160. He notched up four half-centuries, with a best of 91, and finished as the eighth-highest run-scorer of the season.His opening partner Priyansh, known for his exploits in the Delhi Premier League, tallied 475 runs from 17 innings at an average of 27.94. He maintained a remarkable strike rate of 179.24 and registered a century along with two fifties. Suryavanshi, who featured in the latter stages of the tournament, impressed with 252 runs in seven matches at an average of 36.00 and an explosive strike rate of over 206.
