The Indian Premier League is a great platform for young Indian players to make an instant impression and maybe even jump the queue for national selection.
While there are many examples of unknown names becoming overnight millionaires, there are some – like Jasprit Bumrah – who have used the IPL spotlight to rise to the highest level.
This season as well, there will be some youngsters who will be keen to make an impression and remain in the minds of decision makers for after the World Cup. Here are five such players.
SHIVAM DUBE
The Mumbai all-rounder is said to be the real deal – a hard hitting lower order batsman and a capable fast medium bowler. On the eve of the IPL auction in December, Dube hit five sixes in one over for his team Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy clash against Baroda. He had done so in a Mumbai T20 League match as well.
Dube, 25, was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 50 million rupees (Dh2.6m). If he manages to impress for RCB, it can quickly open the doors to national selection as he will be led by Virat Kohli in IPL, who is desperate to find a long term back-up for all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the senior Indian team.
VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY
The uncapped 27-year-old Tamil Nadu spinner was snapped up by Kings XI Punjab for a record 84m rupees (Dh4.4m). And his story is remarkable. He played until the age of 17 as a keeper. Then he became disenchanted, took up architecture and worked as a freelance architect. He then returned to the game after more than five years, became a seam-bowling all-rounder, got injured and finally settled on mystery spin.
According to the man himself, in order to survive as a spinner in T20 cricket, Chakravarthy has developed seven types of deliveries. Plus he can hit a few in the stands as well.
Highest ratio of sold price to base price in #IPL2019Auction
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) December 18, 2018
42.00 - Varun Chakaravarthy (20 lacs to 8.4 cr)
25.00 - Shivam Dube (20 lacs to 5 crores)
24.00 - Prabhsimran Singh (20 lacs to 4.8 cr)
18.00 - Akshdeep Nath (20 lacs to 3.6 cr)
10.00 - Mohit Sharma (50 lacs to 5 cr)
PRABHSIMRAN SINGH
The wicketkeeper batsman has played 10 competitive games in all. One of them was the U19 Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in which he cracked 65 off 37 balls.
The 19-year-old from Punjab hit 298 off 301 balls in an U23 tournament last year. His cousin Anmolpreet Singh is a regular in first-class cricket. Prabhsimran idolises Adam Gilchrist and told the Times of India that he took up wicketkeping after watching Gilchrist keep and then open the innings for Australia. Picked up by Kings XI Punjab for 48m rupees (Dh2.5m).
PRAYAS RAY BURMAN
The leg-spinner is just 16. He was the top wicket taker for Bengal in the 2018/19 Vijay Hazare one-day tournament. However in T20 games, his record is limited with four wickets from as many games.
Royal Challengers Bangalore paid 15 million rupees (Dh800,000) for his services. He will partner senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and should get to learn a lot about the art of bowling leg-spin in the smaller Chinnaswamy Stadium.
YARRA PRITHVIRAJ
The 21-year-old Andhra Pradesh left-arm quick was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for two million rupees. The tall left armer can generate decent pace and can hurry batsmen with extra bounce. Has mainly played first-class cricket and joins a Knight Riders squad that already has a good bunch of young Indian quicks in Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Prasidh Krishna.
Nagarkoti hasn’t played competitive cricket for a year now and his place in the team can go to Prithviraj, whose left arm angle sets him apart.
