20 Young Talents to Watch Out For

Till a few years ago, India's sporting clout was synonymous with cricket and restricted to a handful of names outside of it. That's no longer the case. We're witnessing a sporting revolution brewing, where a country of over a billion is finally showing its unlimited reserve of extraordinary talent, across the playing field. Leading the charge are these remarkable individuals, who are shaping the narrative for future generations and telling you that sports is serious business on home turf

- NIRAJ KAKADE, SHARAN SANIL, SUKRITI SHAHI

Riyan Parag, 22 | Cricket

Assam native Riyan Parag might just be the blessing Indian cricket didn't know it needed. His rise from the cricketing fringes of Northeast India to the sport's glamorous epicentre is not just a personal triumph but also a handbook for aspiring cricketers in underrepresented regions. On the field, he became the youngest (in 2019) to hit an IPL fifty and going by his current form-he is one of Rajasthan Royal's highest run-scorers this season-Riyan Parag is undoubtedly leading the charge amongst the new guard. What really sets the 22-year-old apart from the rest of his ilk is his ice-cool demeanour under pressure, reminiscent of a certain no 7, set off by his ability to bat aggressively and relentlessly like a current no 18. And we all know what a potent combination that can be.

Nikhat Zareen, 27 | Boxing

There's no bigger testament to one's own resolve and mental fortitude than publicly challenging your childhood hero, which Nikhat Zareen did in 2019, after the Boxing Federation of India decided to send Mary Kom to the Olympic qualifiers. Mary Kom eventually secured the birth for the Tokyo Olympics, but the snub only augmented Zareen's muscle. Since then, she's gone on to clinch the World Championship title twice-outsmarting Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Tam last year on home turf-and is now competing in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Are we looking at Zareen becoming India's first female athlete to win gold at the world's greatest sporting arena? Most definitely, yes.

Kush Maini, 23 | Formula 2