Who are the five young players to watch at the ICC T20 World Cup?

Al Jazeera picks cricket’s brightest young ones who could leave their mark on the T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and the West Indies.

The world’s biggest sporting events are known for shining the limelight on the superstars that rule the game, but they also serve as a platform to unearth the brightest young talent in sport.

There are a few cricketers who entered the ICC T20 World Cup as relative unknowns but left the experts and fans in awe of their skills and potential by the end of the tournament.

Think, Shakib al-Hasan and Mohammad Amir at the 2009 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli at the 2012 edition and Wanindu Hasaranga in 2022.

Here’s Al Jazeera’s list of five young ones who could light up the 2024 edition of the tournament:

Arguably India’s brightest young cricketer in the past year, Jaiswal has proven himself in the longest and shortest formats of the game. While the 23-year-old’s rags-to-riches story may have endeared him to fans, it is his batting and fearless approach towards the game that has put him in the limelight.

Within a year of making his T20 international debut, Jaiswal has scored more than 500 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 33.4 and a high strike rate of 161. He has even managed to score a T20I century to go with his four half-centuries.

The top-order batter is certain to open the innings for India with his experienced captain Rohit Sharma. And if India are to win a second T20 title that has eluded them in 17 years, a good portion of their runs may come off Jaiswal’s bat.

In a country known for pushing young players at the deep end, Saim’s introduction to international cricket came relatively late. The left-handed batter played his first T20I at the age of 21 last year, but has been unable