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IPL 2020: Five Young Stars To Watch Out For

The world’s biggest annual cricket tournament is back.

And although the raucous crowds have been replaced with empty seats, the IPL (Indian Premier League) promises to be just as explosive as ever.

The tournament offers a chance to watch some of the biggest names in world cricket go head to head - as well as the hottest young talent the sport has to offer.

IPL 2020: Five Young Stars To Watch Out For
Credit: Ajay Parthasarathy via Unsplash

5) Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals

IPL 2020: Five Young Stars To Watch Out For
Despite being just 18 years old, Jaiswal has already been making headlines after he became the youngest double-centurion in List A cricket last year. After scoring over 400 runs in only 6 matches at this year's U-19 World Cup, he was named man of the tournament.  The IPL is a golden opportunity for the young left-hander to hone his skills alongside some of the world’s best.

4) Tom Banton, Kolkata Knight Riders

After a number of breath-taking batting displays in some of the world’s biggest cricket leagues and comparisons being drawn to the likes of 'KP' and Jos Buttler, you can safely assume that 21 year old Tom Banton is something special.

Unarguably one of the brightest talents in world cricket, Banton has an uncanny ability to hit sixes and can send the ball to any corner of the ground with ease - as he showed in recent weeks against Pakistan.

With the T20 world cup coming up next year, a strong IPL could see the English opener secure his place in England’s top order.

3) Sandeep Lamichhane, Dehli Capitals

Having already torn up numerous T20 leagues with his crafty leg breaks and deceptive googly, Lamichhane is set to be a key member of this year’s Dehli Capitals side and should thrive on the spin-friendly pitches in UAE.

The Nepalese spin-bowling sensation has honed his skills all around the globe and although just 17 years old he has earned a reputation as being one of the best white ball bowlers around.

After all, age is just a number.

2) Shubman Gill, Kolkata Knight Riders

Dubbed ‘the next big thing’ in Indian cricket, it’s fair to say that there’s plenty of pressure on Shubman Gill’s young shoulders.

At the tender of age 21 he has already been given a leadership position at Kolkata, reflecting his talent and cool head - and he’s already proved that he deserves his reputation with a number of stylish performances with the bat in last year’s competition.

His accolades include an U-19 world cup and two Indian junior cricketer of the year awards; he was also named by ESPN as one of the 20 cricketers for the 2020s. Big praise for a very promising cricketer.

1) Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Kings XI Punjab

Following in the footsteps of Afghan spin-bowling legend Rashid Khan, Mujeeb has been making waves with his world-class performances with the ball, prompting Kings XI to splash out around US $650,000 on him.

He's the complete package, with the ability to bowl both leg and off spin; his multiple variations make him extremely difficult to play against and they have propelled him to second in the T20 bowling rankings. Pretty darn impressive for someone who hasn’t even turned 20!

Any others that you've spotted or in a team you follow?  Have your say in the comments...

 

*****

As always, thanks for reading, stay tuned for more and please share with any fellow cricket lovers.

Comments

  1. Anonymous13 September 2020 at 19:35

    Nice article, can't wait for the IPL. As a rhajasthan supporter, I've been pretty impressed with young Riyan Parag.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sanjeev P13 September 2020 at 19:54

    Ravi Bishnoi is another good young player featuring in the tournament, he was highest wicket taker at this year's U-19 world cup, but it's hard to argue with your selections. As an aside, it's difficult to imagine the IPL without crowds, the horns, the passionate fans and the music is a huge part of what makes the IPL so special.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Axar3 October 2020 at 21:05

    Really enjoyed this piece, all of the players mentioned are very exciting prospects, but I would say Mujeeb is already so established that he doesn't need to be on this list. Watching this year's competition, it seems that young players are delivering for their franchises, whereas the older ones like Dhoni and Watson just seem a bit past it to me.

    ReplyDelete

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