Bengal has been a centre of sporting excellence for generations, having produced countless sports legends. In cricket, the state has a rich legacy since the 1960s and 70s in the Indian national team. Ambar Roy, Subhash Gupte, Sourav Ganguly, Jhulan Goswami, Wriddhiman Saha, Mohammed Shami, Richa Ghosh, and Akash Deep are some of the renowned cricketing personalities who have represented India in the international arena.

Despite this rich legacy, the state of Bengal has struggled to produce homegrown cricketing stars in recent decades, especially in men's cricket. Though talents such as Titas Sadhu and Saika Ishaque have successfully earned the coveted India cap, native top-tier players have rarely emerged in recent years.

Below are the seven homegrown U-19 talents from Bengal we at Sportz Point believe can go the distance and make their mark in international cricket. Please note, the list is in random order.

1. Ankit Chatterjee

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Ankit Chatterjee | Sportz Point — Ankit hitting a boundary during a Cooch Behar Trophy match at Eden Gardens. Image | CAB Media

Ankit Chatterjee is one of the most promising U-19 talents in Bengal at the moment. The left-handed top-order batter has all the skills to be a future star for Bengal and eventually in Indian cricket. In the recently concluded Vinoo Mankad Trophy, Ankit finished as Bengal's highest scorer and fourth-highest in the tournament. Ankit finished the tournament with 376 runs in 9 games with an average of 41.78 and a strike rate of 98.42.

Along with his dominance in white-ball cricket, Ankit has shown his skill in the red-ball format as well. Till now, he has scored 300 runs in Cooch Behar Trophy with an average of 50.00 and is Bengal's highest scorer in the tournament as well.

During his U-16s days, Ankit was also the Bengal's highest run scorer in the Vijay Merchant Trophy as well. Ankit plays for Shyambazar Club in Kolkata First-Division Cricket and has featured for Murshidabad Kings in Bengal Pro T20 League as well.

Read Also | Vinoo Mankad Trophy: Vishal Bhati's 111 and Ankit Chatterjee's 92 help Bengal qualify for final after 11 years

2. Yudhajit Guha

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Yudhajit Guha | sportzpoint.com — Yudhajit Guha in his bowling stride during a Cooch Behar Trophy match at Eden Gardens. Image | CAB Media

Medium pacer Yudhajit Guha has already featured for India U-19 in a series against Australia U-19 and also did well in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup where India lost in the final against Bangladesh U-19.

The 18-year-old pacer has been playing for Bengal in underage cricket since the U-16s and came through the ranks after doing well in those levels. Guha has a long run-up and has an economical action which helps him bowl longer spells without wasting much energy.

Guha's 57/6 against Saurashtra followed by a 23/7 against Jharkhand in this season's Cooch Behar Trophy impressed the BCCI selectors, which helped him don the U-19 jersey. He took 8 wickets in 5 games in Vinoo Mankad Trophy where Bengal played the final.

Yudhajit's father Koushik Guha, who himself is a coach in the Kolkata Club Cricket League, has played a major role in his career. Guha is currently also the vice-captain of the Bengal U-19 team as Bengal prepares for the knockouts of the Cooch Behar Trophy tournament.

Read Also | Exclusive | "Felt like my debut:" Bengal pacer Ishan Porel now wants to enjoy his cricket after a solid comeback to first-class cricket

3. Debjani Das

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Debjani Das | sportzpoint.com — Debjani in action during the Bengal Women's Pro T20 League. Image | CAB

During the inaugural Bengal Women's Pro T20 League 2024 tournament, Sportz Point had already written about this exceptional talent from Bengal. 5 feet 8 inches Tall, sharp and smart U-15 left-arm leg spinner Debjani Das already had impressed none other than Jhulan Goswami in her first trials and since then already made her mark by helping Bengal win the BCCI Women's U-15 One Day Tournament.

Read Also | Women's Cricket Exclusive: Age 14, 5 feet 8 inches tall, bowls left-arm wrist spin; Debjani Das is all set to be Bengal's next cricketing superstar

Debjani was very impressive during the Bengal Women's Pro T20 League and despite being one of the younger players in the tournament, attracted the attention of CAB coaches and selectors. The 14-year-old Kuldeep Yadav fan has a top-arm action which enables her to get that extra bounce which can trouble any batter in the world.

Besides being a smart spinner, Debjani is sharp in the field and is an all-round athlete. In the BCCI U-15 Women's One-Day Tournament, Debjani finished with 21 wickets in just 8 matches and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the whole tournament. And, as a few legends have already mentioned, "she is the one for the future".

4. Sandipta Patra

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Sandipta Patra | sportzpoint.com — Sandipya during the BCCI Women's U-15 One-Day Tournament. Image | CAB

Like Debjani, here is another player from the Bengal U-15 team who I believe can play for India in the near future. Sandipta Patra, the right-handed top-order batter scored 372 runs in just 7 innings in BCCI U-15 Women's One-Day Tournament with a staggering average of 93.00. She finished the tournament as Bengal's highest run-getter and second-highest overall as Bengal clinched the trophy under her captaincy.

Sandipta was part of Murshidabad Queens in the Bengal Women's Pro T20 League and played a vital knock of 45 in the final where they lost against Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers. She also finished as the seventh-highest run scorer of the tournament as well.

Read Also | 300 in a U-13 match: Bengal's wonder kid Ram Sen creates history in CAB Ambar Roy U-13 Tournament

5. Agniswar Das

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Agniswar Das | Sportz Point — Agniswar Das was awarded the player-of-the-match for his brilliant 87 off 113 balls vs MP. Image | CAB Media

Although only 17, the dashing right-handed batter from the district of Birbhum has been in the news of Bengal cricket since his U-13 days when he impressed one and all in the CAB Ambar Roy Sub Junior U13 tournament. Agniswar's batting has some unique style and flair which will make anyone sit and watch his game.

He announced himself in Bengal cricket with an unbeaten 250 against Goa in the Vijay Merchant Trophy last season and since then has played for Town Club in the last two seasons. This year has signed for Kalighat Club where he will have the chance to learn from players like Anustup Majumdar and Manoj Tiwary.

In the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, he has scored 295 runs at an average of 42.14 and surely has the guts and talent to become Bengal's next big thing in Men's cricket.

6. Toriya Singha Roy

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Toriya Singha Roy | Sportz Point — Toriya Singha Roy scored a fine 56 off 89 balls against Chhattisgarh. Image | CAB Media

Another player from the Bengal Women's U-15 team who has immense potential to play for India. A stylish left-handed batter who bats at the top of the order and has a bat flow like Smriti Mandhana must be a special player.

Toriya showcased her class while scoring 209 runs in the BCCI U-15 Women's One-Day tournament at an average of 34.83. But, mark my word, she is a better player than that. In just one year, she has developed herself into one of the most watchable young women batters in Bengal cricket and the is she can convert those into more big runs, she can surely go the distance.

Read Also | Women's Cricket Exclusive: Durgapur's Bidisha Dey is looking to emerge as an effective all-rounder

7. Adrija Sarkar

Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future: Adrija Sarka | Sportz Point — Adrija with the player of the match award in the final of BCCI U-15 Women's Tournament. Image | CAB

The youngest in the list, but the most talented one. Adrija Sarkar was discovered during the CAB Women's T20 League where she played for Rajasthan Club at the tender age of just 8. Even at that age, Adrija's pace bowling had impressed former India cricketer Mithu Mukherjee who was astonished to see the young girl's pace at that age.

Five years later, the 13-year-old youngster played a stunning knock of 62 from 63 balls which helped her win the Player of the Match award in the BCCI Women's U-15 One-Day tournament final. Adrija finished the tournament with 209 runs at a strike rate of 112.36 and she was the only batter from Bengal to score a ton in that tournament.

A few other players who have been impressive as well

Along with these young talents, players like Vishal Bhati, Remondina Khatun, Snigdha Bag, Bidisha Dey, Prativa Mandi, Chandrahas Dash, Debangshu Pakhira and Ashutosh Kumar have been impressive so far in their careers and have the potential to become future stars of Indian cricket.

Vishal Bhati has been Bengal Men's U-19 team's best all-rounder and was the player of the tournament in Vinoo Mankad Trophy. Along with him, Bengal U-19 captain Chandrahas Dash, Ashutosh Kumar and pace bowling all-rounder Debangshu Pakhira have been splendid so far.

In Women's Cricket, Snigdha Bag, who took 16 wickets in 8 games and Remondina Khatun, who took 8 wickets in the U-15 tournament, have all the features to be a future star. Bengal Women's U-19 captain Bidisha Dey has been in and around the National Cricket Academy and another all-rounder Prativa Mandi, who made her senior debut recently are future prospects as well.

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