Ryan Patel

Having attended the renowned Surrey Academy, Ryan Patel, of Indian descent, has been an aspring cricketer since he was 8 years old. Having risen gradually through the ranks of age-group cricket, he was selected in the Surrey's county squad in late 2017. He opened the batting in his maiden first-class appearance against Middlesexand was one of the four teenagers to play in the team; a first since World War II.

Having played a limited number of first-class games till date, the left-hander's match-saving 81 against Hampshire on a minefield of a pitch at the Ageas Bowl was his standout innings and spoke volumes about his maturity and character in adverse conditions. During the 2018 County Championship game against Somerset, the right-arm dibbly-dobbler surprised everyone on a green wicket, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket - an unprecedented 6 wickets for 5 runs in 11 balls.

With a vast array of skills, this young first-class cricketer with a classical technique can be a handful, both in first-class cricket as well as the shorter formats. Nevertheless, the one big score is yet to come to catch the eye of the national selectors. Given his confidence, temperament, and compactness, that knock doesn't seem too far away.

Written by Rishi Roy