The Indian Premier League (IPL) has a habit of unearthing new and potential talents. More often than not the talents go on to represent their respective national teams. Be it Jasprit Bumrah or the Pandya brothers or Khaleel Ahmed or Ishan Kishan, the IPL has always baptised the young players with fire. So, with the new season all set for launch under the lingering shadow of the deadly coronavirus, here’s a look at the emerging Indian players who can make a mark in the 14th edition of the cash-rich league.
Shahrukh Khan (Punjab Kings)
With a price tag of Rs. 5.25 crore in the IPL 2021 auction, Shahrukh Khan was acquired by the Punjab Kings, owing to his performance in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2018 and 2019, coupled with his Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2021 performance. In all the 31 T20s that he has played, he has scored 293 runs, with the highest being an unbeaten 40. Boasting a strike rate of 131.39, the young right-handed batsman is expected to add the much-required firepower to the Punjab-based squad.
Chetan Sakariya (Rajasthan Royals)
Acquired by the Rajasthan Royals for the 14 edition of the IPL for a price tag of Rs 1.20 crore, the Saurashtra bowler has played 16 T20s and has 28 wickets under his belt, including a five-wicket haul. After a notable outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2021, he made noise in the auction. With his economy of 7.08, Sakariya is expected to find a place in the Royals playing XI for more than a couple of matches.
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Vaibhav Arora (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Vaibhav Arora came to the fore in the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 when he castled Cheteshwar Pujara in his debut game. Arora, a known yorker specialist, was called in as a net bowler for Punjab Kings last season. He soon was spotted by KKR’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar just before the IPL auction. In this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the pacer scalped 10 wickets in six games, and then followed it up with a hattrick in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Maharashtra.
Lalit Yadav (Delhi Capitals)
An all-rounder in nature, the 24yo could be the missing link in the Delhi Capitals line-up as he will be giving them a batting depth lower down the order. With a strike rate of 149.33 at an average of 37.33, he has an array of shots that will help his team score quick runs.
He scored a total of 152 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi at a mammoth strike rate of 197.40. An off-break bowler, Lalit scalped 27 wickets at an economy rate of 6.86 in 34 innings.
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Abdul Samad (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Abdul Samad, 19, possesses a strike rate of 147 in all the T20 games he has played and rose to popularity in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy and he followed it up with a six-hitting performance in the Vijay Hazare game last year. The young cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir had a strike rate of over 170 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad last season.
