IPL 2021 was no short of entertainment despite coming to a premature end due to a couple of potential bio-bubble breaches due to the COVID-19 crisis. A couple of uncapped players proved their mettle for the first time in the league. In the wake of it, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowler Chetan Sakariya as the bowler who took everyone by surprise.

The Rajasthan management roped in the left-arm fast bowler from Saurashtra for INR 1.2 crores. The youngster repaid the trust and was one of their star bowlers until BCCI postponed the tournament midway. He took everyone by surprise as he managed to pick the wickets of several big-ticket players, including KL Rahul and MS Dhoni.

Chetan Sakariya took all of us by surprise – Aakash Chopra

Chetan Sakariya finished with seven wickets from the same number of games. Although the numbers don’t look that strong, Sakariya ability to hit the right line and length both with the new ball and at the death made him a force to reckon with. The 23-year-old, who recently lost his father to COVID-19, impressed one and all including Aakash Chopra.

He explained why Sakariya was the surprise of IPL in the latest video on his YouTube channel, and he also picked Sakariya as one of the top six uncapped Indian players who have impressed him the most in IPL 2021.

“He [Sakariya] took all of us by surprise. He is the real deal. How impressive he has been, he can make the ball go out and come in. He has both the back of the hand and a normal slower one. Even if he gets hit, he has the talent of quickly bouncing back and with the same level of confidence. If you talk about temperament and technique, there is a lot to like about him. I think Indian cricket can see a rising star in Chetan Sakariya,” said Aakash Chopra.

Apart from Chetan Sakariya, Aakash Chopra picked Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, Harpreet Brar, and Ravi Bishnoi as the six uncapped players who impressed the most.