The Power of Ten: An IPL overflowing with talent is good news for Team India

 INDIA IS THE world T20 champions, and one of the reasons India has now won back-to-back titles is due to the depth of talent around. In this IPL, there are 10 Indian openers who can step in at any minute and play for the national team. And in this list, I am not including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, for both have retired from the format. Ten players of potential are a real rarity and showcase the unprecedented talent in Indian white-ball cricket at the moment.

Rishabh Pant: While Pant opened in just one game before pushing himself back to number three and played a match-winning hand against SRH, there is reason to believe that the Lucknow Super Giants skipper is best suited at the top of the order to take advantage of the power play. He has the shots and can surely use the field restrictions. And opening the batting is his best chance of trying to stage a T20 comeback into the national team.

Abhishek Sharma: He is already part of the national team, and though he did not have the best World Cup, it is known that he is capable of single-handedly winning games. He had a stellar 2025, and if the second game for SRH is an index, Abhishek is gradually getting back to his best.

Sanju Samson: Given three match-winning efforts in the business end of the competition, one can pardon Sanju for a few low scores at the

start of the IPL. While CSK will need him to come good asap, there is no doubting his ability on the big stage.

Priyansh Arya: Anyone who watched Priyansh against Matt Henry the other night will know he is a very special talent. He can pick the length early and plays the pull shot wonderfully well. If Arya can go about giving starts like the way he has done so far for Punjab, it will be impossible to keep him outside of the national set-up for far too long.

Prabhsimran Singh: From the time he played

for India U19, people have talked up Prabhsimran

as an explosive option at the top. Coupled with his wicket-keeping abilities, he is a very handy

player for Punjab. While India has many wicket-keeping options at the moment, Prabhsimran can

surely make the India A set-up in the near future.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: I will be surprised if Vaibhav doesn't play for the senior team in the next 12 months. He is just 15 and has already played some extraordinary knocks for India, including the one in the U19 World Cup final. Vaibhav has every shot in the book, and with a much-improved temperament in the last month, he is clearly a future star for India.

Yashaswi Jaiswal: With so much talent around, Jaiswal has kind of receded to the background. One other reason for that is that he is already an established red-ball player and is also a part of India's 50-over setup. In T20 cricket, he is also a gun player and has the potential to be called upon at any minute that India needs him.

Ruturaj Gaekwad: Not too long ago, Ruturaj was touted as one of India's future stars. While he still has a whole career left, the truth is he has gone back in the pecking order with the rise of stars like Vaibhav and Priyansh. As captain of CSK, Ruturaj needs a breakout season.

Ayush Mhatre: While he was overshadowed by the brilliance of Vaibhav in the U19 World Cup final and is batting at number three for CSK, Ayush can be a good bet at the top of the order. A handy off-spinner, one will be surprised if Ayush doesn't break into the national team in the next couple of years.

Ishan Kishan: While batting at three for SRH, Ishan Kishan can at any point don the mantle of an opener. He has all the shots in the book and can take advantage of the powerplay. The World Cup is evidence of how far Ishan has come.