Forward march 2019

Manu Bhaker
The 16-year-old from Haryana set the world shooting stage alight in 2018. After two gold medals in the ISSF World Cup in Mexico, she clinched CWG gold in 10m air pistol event and followed it up with a gold and a silver in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. The only blip in her calendar was the Asian Games in Jakarta. If 2018 is anything to go by, she will be one of India’s medal hopes in Olympics 2020.

Lakshya Sen
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy trainee had a year full of milestones. From becoming the first Indian in 53 years to clinch the men’s singles gold at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships to bringing home the first Junior Worlds bronze in seven years, his junior run has been nothing short of stupendous. He is also making progress in the senior category.

Dina Asher-Smith
Even if the 23-year-old already had two Worlds and one Olympic medal coming into the season, she was still an athlete marked ‘promising’. It’s safe to say she left the season as one of the best sprinters in the world. She thrilled at the European Championships, picking up three gold. That she beat Dafne Schippers thrice in three finals spoke volumes about her talent. Six podium finishes in the Diamond League proved she can hang with the best.

Naomi Osaka
In March, when a relatively unknown Naomi Osaka, ranked 44th in the WTA rankings, won the Indian Wells premier mandatory event, it raised a few eyebrows. But it was just the beginning of better things to come. In the US Open, the 21-year-old stunned the world with a brilliant performance in the final to down the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. Her 6-2, 6-4 win over Serena made her the only Japanese to win a Grand Slam singles title and also propelled Osaka into the top 10 of WTA rankings for the first time. Starting the year at 68, she ended the year at fifth.

Charles Leclerc
It was only a matter of time before Charles Leclerc got called by a big Formula One team — such is his talent — he will spend 2019 behind a red Ferrari, replacing Kimi Raikkonen. 2018 was his debut year in F1 and the 21-year-old impressed with a relatively slow Sauber car. He scored 39 points to finish 13th in the drivers’ standings. For reference, his teammate Magnus Ericsson scored 30 points less with more or less the same car. 

Rashid Khan
He’s been a hot property for his googlies for a while now, but 2018 saw the emergence of Rashid Khan the batsman as well. The Afghan leggie had showcased his willow-wielding chops during the last IPL, and he then went on to blast his way to a few crucial cameos during the 2018 Asia Cup. It’s a trend that he seems to be continuing during the 2018 Big Bash League.

Hima Das
From running barefoot in muddy fields of Dhing in Assam to signing a three-year endorsement deal with Adidas, Hima Das has come a long way in 2018. India’s latest sprint sensation announced her arrival in the big stage by creating history at the World U-20 Championship in 400m. She was the first Indian to clinch a gold at the event. By breaking the national record in Jakarta Asian Games with a silver-winning run, the 18-year-old has also given some serious Olympic medal hopes.

Shubhankar Sharma

Finishing the year as 118th in the world after starting at 202 isn’t really stunning. But then, rankings don’t accurately reflect the golfer’s progress. A European Tour title early in 2018, winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit, playing four Majors in his first year in the big league and a tied-ninth finish at his maiden PGA Tour event after being the second and third-round leader — Sharma announced his arrival in no uncertain terms.

Jasprit Bumrah 

He was already a wonder in limited-over format when he was handed a Test debut in Cape Town. The No 1 ranked ODI bowler in the world abolished doubts over his credentials with red ball, establishing himself as one of the most dependable strike-bowlers India has ever had. Pace, hostility and a yorker that can test the best in the business, Bumrah is a bowling version of Kohli. The 39 wickets he has picked up in eight Tests show how this lanky pacer with an awkward action has evolved into an all-format bowler. As India head into a World Cup year, much of their hopes rest on his shoulders.

Mark your calendars

Cricket World Cup
After 20 years, cricket’s coveted event is heading home. With only 10 teams participating in the event, the format has been tweaked and the organisers have gone back to the 1992 World Cup model. Each team will play each other once in round-robin fixture and four will head to the semifinals. Hosts England enter the tournament as favourites to lift their maiden World Cup title with India not far behind. Though the number of teams has reduced, the tournament will be a 46-day affair with eleven venues playing host. 

National Games

The 36th National Games will finally take place from March next year in Goa. The event has faced numerous delays ranging from elections to infrastructure not being ready. Two events, namely shooting and cycling, will be held in New Delhi as the coastal state does not have the facilities to conduct them. The organisers are in a mad rush to complete all work within the stipulated time. It will be interesting to see which athletes take part considering many sports have more important meets lined up. 

Asian Cup football

It is not often that India get to play in a major football tournament. But that is what they will be doing in the first week of January when they march out in the AFC Asian Cup. The last time India played in the continental showpiece was in 2011 and they lost every match. There is hope that things can be a bit different this time. After all, India did manage to hold China earlier in October. They will face Thailand, hosts UAE and Bahrain in group games and even a point or two will be interpreted as a step forward.

Ashes

An English Summer like never before. Even before England wakes up from the euphoria of hosting a World Cup, they will be looking forward to the Ashes. With Alastair Cook retired, the hosts will enter it with an aging attack led by James Anderson. For Australia, this would be their first Test series once Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are reintegrated back into the team. The new ICC Test Championship that comes into play after the World Cup adds even more significance.

Copa America

Brazil, Argentina, and Chile will look to taste some success in the 2019 Copa America after a disappointing 2018. They will clash in the continental championship which will be hosted by Brazil from June 14 to July 7. Japan and Qatar will participate as invited teams. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on whether Lionel Messi lines up for Argentina. After the disappointing World Cup campaign, Messi took a sabbatical from the national team. Nonetheless, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay start as favourites.

New-look Davis Cup

The International Tennis Federation overhauled the 118-year-old Davis Cup, the World Cup of tennis, with a $3 billion investment over 25 years from Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique-led group Kosmos in August. The Cup will now be played in two rounds – qualifying and finals. In the new format from 2019, 24 teams will play qualifiers with 12 advancing to the 18-team finals along with four semifinalists from the previous year and two wild-card entries, to be played at a neutral venue over a week in November.