5 Youngest players to represent India in cricket

India has produced many prodigies in cricket who have made the country proud. These players started very early and because of their constant hardships at domestic level, they were picked in the national squad quite early. These are the youngest players to play for the county and today, in this article by ZAP cricket, we will share the top 5 youngest cricketers who played for India.

Shafali Verma- 15 years 239 days 

We all thought that Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest cricketer to play for India. But actually, it’s Shafali Verma as she made her international debut at 15 years of age. In 2019, she played her first international match and by 2021 she became the youngest player, male or female, to represent India in all three formats. Since then, she is a regular member in the Indian Team and has already played 119 matches for the country.  

Sachin Tendulkar- 16 years 238 days

We all know Sachin Tendulkar as the ‘God of Cricket’. He is the all time highest run scorer in both ODI and Test cricket with more than 18,000 and 15,000 runs respectively. He made his Test debut on 15 November, 1989 vs Pakistan and ODI debut on 18 December, 1989 against the same opponent. When he played his first game, everyone thought that young Sachin was underprepared against the lethal Pakistani bowlers, but it was a matter of time, that little master proved his credentials at the highest level. 

Piyush Chawla- 17 years 75 days

Piyush Chawla is a leg spinner who played domestic cricket for Gujarat. He made his Test debut on 9 March, 2006 vs England, when he was only 17 years old. He was a talented bowler and was in the squad that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup. Apart from that, he regularly features in IPL as he played for Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. 

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan- 17 years 118 days 

Sivaramakrishnan was a leg spinner from Madras. He made his Test debut on 28 April, 1983 vs West Indies and ODI debut on 20 February, 1985 vs Pakistan. In total, he has played 9 Test matches and 16 ODIs and taken 41 wickets across all formats. Presently, he is a commentator and one of the players’ representatives on the International Cricket Council’s committee. 

Parthiv Patel- 17 years 152 days

Parthiv Patel is one the most underrated players in India. His career was vastly overshadowed by MS Dhoni as the latter was picked mostly by the selectors. However, despite the lack of opportunities extending to him, Parthiv proved to be an exceptional talent. He was a technically sound batsman who used to bat as an opener. He played domestic cricket for Gujarat and IPL for five franchises- Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. 

All these players carved their names in history books by becoming the youngest players to play for India. It is commendable how they achieved this feat at a young age. It takes a lot to play for the country and these players were talented enough to do so in such a short time span.