There was a lot of scepticism surrounding the exclusion of an experienced Khaled Mashud Pilot in favour of a young wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim in Bangladesh's 2007 World Cup squad. 

But fast forward a few years, and everyone got to witness how that showpiece event in a way went on to start the era of the current stalwarts -- Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur, and Shakib Al Hasan.

Bangladesh will probably not go through such a trial following this year's World Cup selection -- barring probably what might happen in the case of Mahmudullah Riyad -- but one thing that can be of note from the scenario that unfolded 16 years ago is that the upcoming mega ODI event in India might once again turn out to be the launchpad that will unravel the next set of big names in the country's cricket.

Bangladesh cricket has long been searching for that group of players who might take the baton from the current stalwarts and take the country to the next level in the foreseeable future.

One thing that could give the Tigers' fans more than just rays of hope is that a number of youngsters have already started to make a claim.

Overpowering the relentless social media troll and ridicule for a humble beginning to international cricket, Najmul Hossain Shanto has now turned into a key cog in the Tigers' batting lineup. Justifying the faith kept in him by selectors and team management, the 25-year-old has finally been able to reflect his true potential.

Shanto has been the top run-getter for the Tigers in the past 12 months with 643 runs in 15 innings. The left-handed batter remains at the summit of the run-getters' list for Bangladesh ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, who scored 14 runs less playing three more innings than Shanto during that period. Also, both of Shanto's ODI centuries and all four of his fifties in the format have come in the last 12 months, and his 42.86 average is also the highest during that period for players batting at least 10 innings.

One other player whose emergence has come as a blessing to a frail batting order is Towhid Hridoy. Aside from his 38.46 average in 16 games, there is another aspect of Hridoy that suggests that this 22-year-old is built different. Bucking the trend of Bangladesh players losing their way after a promising start to their careers, Hridoy seems to know how to bounce back after a jittery period -- he stopped from the naysayers' tongues wagging when he bounced back from underperforming in the first three Asia Cup games to scoring two crucial half-centuries against Sri Lanka and India at the business end of the tournament last month.

The youthful exuberance in the Tigers' line-up is not limited to only the batting order. Young pacers Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam have now turned themselves into crucial parts of arguably the country's best-ever pace unit -- spearheaded by an experienced Taskin Ahmed.

Hasan's calm and collected demeanour, and his reluctance to celebrate wickets are not the only things that set him apart. His ability to startle the batters with quick bouncers and accurate yorkers coupled with the effective back-of-the-hand slowers have made him the Tigers' go-to bowler at the death.

Hasan has been the Tigers' second-highest wicket-taker this year with 16 scalps in 10 matches but still, the numbers don't entirely portray what the 23-year-old offers -- the way he stepped up and defended 10 off the final over to give Bangladesh a five-run win in Ireland in May could help paint a better picture in this regard.

Shoriful, meanwhile, may lack Hasan's level of composure but the Under-19 World Cup winner has proven his mettle whenever handed the opportunity. Coming in as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman in the Asia Cup, Shoriful has all but cemented his place in the eleven that might feature in the World Cup.

Including seven wickets in the four games he played in the continental championship, Shoriful gave the Tigers a breakthrough with the new ball every time barring the game against Pakistan in Lahore where he bowled only two overs in the Powerplay.

For Shanto, Shoriful, Hasan, and Hridoy, the flagship event in India will demonstrate if they could be at the forefront of Bangladesh cricket ushering in a new era -- like Mushfiqur, Shakib, Tamim, and Riyad were in the aftermath of the 2007 World Cup.