Year after year, there have been unknown names, coming from unlikely places, who have taken the league by storm with their incredible performances and have become household names.
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Keeping aside the coalition of international cricketing superstars which has made the league what it is today, raw, unknown talents have been unearthed on the IPL stage as it continues to be the biggest platform of opportunities. Over the years, the IPL has opened the gates to national selection for many youngsters.
From the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, the Pandya brothers to Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik, the IPL over the years has brought to the fore young, talented cricketers and have turned them into exciting national prospects.
The ongoing 16th edition of the league has been no different and has put quite a few young talents in the spotlight. TimesofIndia.com here takes a look at top 5 exciting prospects who can be potential future Team India candidates.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals)
From selling pani puri on the streets of Mumbai to sleeping on an empty stomach in tents at Azad Maidan to recently firing his maiden IPL ton, Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has come a long way and this only seems to be the beginning of a very exciting journey for a superstar in the making.
The 21-year-old Jaiswal, who hails from Uttar Pradesh has set the IPL 2023 stage on fire with his incredible batting performance this season. With 428 runs in just 9 games, the swashbuckling left-hander is the second highest run-getter so far in the tournament behind RCB’s Faf du Plessis.
With a ton and three fifties already to his name, Jaiswal is having the best run he has ever had in an IPL season so far. looks all set to make this season his best ever. And even before the ongoing edition of the IPL, Jaiswal was scoring runs by the bucketfuls in domestic cricket.
In the form of his life, a national call-up for Jaiswal seems to be just a matter of time, at least in the shortest format as he will be on the radar of the selectors, who are looking for a revamp of the Indian T20I side. A left handed opening batsman is always an asset for any team.
Tilak Varma (Mumbai Indians)
After showing a trailer of his batting prowess last season amidst an underwhelming Mumbai Indians’ campaign, stylish left-hander Tilak Varma has been in ominous touch in this edition of the IPL and has been one of the most promising young talents to have come up in the Indian cricket system in recent times.
With 248 runs in 8 matches at a strike rate of over 152, the 20-year-old from Hyderabad has been a find for Mumbai and continues to shine in the world’s biggest T20 league.
Showcasing immense maturity and rare batting skills, Tilak has been the backbone of MI’s faltering batting order this year and has on multiple occasions bailed his team out of trouble.
Tilak Varma is 20 years old and the same vintage as Yashasvi. He is another young, very talented cricketer the national selectors will be watching very closely.
Suyash Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders)
A largely unknown entity before the start of this season, Kolkata Knight Riders’ leggie Suyash Sharma has turned out to be the latest spark in the Indian Premier League.
With almost no experience in competitive cricket, rookie Suyash, this season, was thrown into the deep end and the move has worked like a charm for the Knight Riders.
A stylish hairdo coupled with some really smart bowling against the best batters around the world, Suyash has proved that he belongs on the biggest stage in the world and completely fits the definition of a cricketing rockstar.
The 19-year-old so far has 9 wickets in 8 matches and has certainly created a buzz around the cricketing circuit. Although the leggie is still in the nascent stages of his career but with time, can be nurtured into a bright bowling prospect.
Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders)
From refusing a job to mop floors to becoming an overnight IPL sensation, the Rinku Singh journey has been nothing short of a Cinderella story.
The talk of the town recently, Rinku’s name has been on everyone’s lips since he pulled off a miraculous win for his side Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans.
The last-over five consecutive sixes that Rinku hit to pull off a heist have made him a household name and his story has taken a turn for the great.
With 270 runs in 9 games, the 25-year-old this season has been very consistent with the bat and continues to impress fans and pundits alike.
Coming in lower down the order, Rinku and his striking supremacy has given KKR a big weapon that they can wield effectively. He can be groomed and his skills honed further to turn him into an out and out match winner in coming seasons. He will also be on the radar of the national selectors for a potential future call-up.
Mayank Markande (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Limited opportunities at Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals initially derailed the arrival of Mayank Markande in the IPL. But it looks like the 25-year-old has finally settled down in his new franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and could well end up being one of the finds of this season.
With 10 wickets in 6 matches at a superb economy of 6.41 so far, the young leggie from Punjab has created a buzz and has been one of the most successful bowlers in the league this edition.
Mayank who has also played a lone T20 international for India seems to have struck the right chords with his new franchise and is reveling in his new role of lead spinner in the side.
With a classical leg-break and a mean googly, Mayank has troubled some of the best batters in the league and will look to better his performances as the league enters its business phase.
He is another talented youngster the selectors would want to watch and track closely.
