The Indian Premier League over the years has laid the foundation to many youngsters. Whether we talk about Ravinder Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal, its the IPL which has helped them make a case for themselves in the Indian national side.
A youngster coming up the ranks in World cricket can never get a better platform than the IPL to showcase the world what he’s capable off. Players like Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Chahar, Mayank Markhande all rose to fame after an IPL season which in return helped them in getting considered for the Indian team.
Every year we have a new youngster make his IPL debut who then goes on to make it big like everyone else. Similarly this year, there are about 5 players we should watch out for this season as we feel these players are the next big thing in Indian cricket.
Let’s take a look at the Top 5 youngsters to watch out for in IPL 2020:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal ( Rajasthan Royals )
The young batsman from Mumbai was roped in by Rajasthan Royals for ₹2.4 crores during the 2020 IPL Auction. The 18-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal is touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket after he became the youngest player to smash a double hundred in List A cricket at just 17 years of age in 2019.
Initially, he first rose to fame in 2015 when he scored a record-breaking 319 not out and took 13/99 in a Giles Shield match. Later this record was recognized by the Limca Book Of Records.
He then continued his sublime form in the 2019 U19 World Cup where he scored 400 runs at an average of 133 in 6 matches ultimately becoming the highest run-scorer of the prestigious youth league.
For Rajasthan Royals, Yashasvi Jaiswal can be used an opener along with Jos Buttler, who could provide the Jaipur based franchise with the much-needed flying starts they’ve been lacking since years.
2. Ravi Bishnoi ( Kings XI Punjab )
Hailing from Rajasthan, Ravi Bishnoi is considered as India’s next spin wizard in the country. The bowler is quite different from the orthodox leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
In fact, many compare Bishnoi to that of Indian Legend and Kings XI Punjab head coach Anil Kumble. He’s got a quick bowling action and picks majority of his wickets off skidding deliveries.
He was the highest wicket in the 2019 U-19 World Cup and often provided India major breakthroughs at crucial stages with economical spells. The leg-spinning wizard was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the IPL auction for this season for ₹2 crores and will be under the watchful eyes of India’s leading wicket-taker in tests Anil Kumble.
The latter’s bowling will prove beneficial to KXIP on the dry pitches of UAE as they’re quite spin conducive.
3. Priyam Garg ( Sunrisers Hyderabad )
Priyam Garg led India till the finals of the 2019 U-19 World Cup. A calm and composed player who batted at the top for India U-19s, is a highly-rated captain. He made his Ranji debut for Uttar Pradesh at the age of 16 in 2018.
Despite playing just a few List A games, Priyam Garg averages over 47 and has also scored 2 centuries. During the 2020 IPL auction, there was a bidding war for the U-19 captain with multiple teams interested in acquiring his services.
He was ultimately bought for ₹1.9 crores by Sunrisers Hyderabad. He can be a good choice for Hyderabad in the middle-order with his ability to provide stability.
4. Virat Singh ( Sunrisers Hyderabad )
Yes, another Virat in the making but this time its Virat Singh. The left-handed has been a show stopper for the Jharkhand Ranji side since the last couple of years. Virat made his debut for East Zone in 2015 at the age of 17 where he scored 54 runs in the final of the Deodhar Trophy.
He stitched a 135-run third-wicket partnership with Manoj Tiwary leading East Zone to their first Deodhar Trophy win since 2003. Virat also scored a mammoth 343 runs in the recently concluded 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, based on which he was awarded an IPL contract.
Sunrisers Hyderabad roped him for a price of ₹1.90 crores for this year’s IPL. With the kind of batsman Virat is, he can be used as a floater at 4 or 5 for the Hyderabad franchise. If records are to be used as the judgement parameters then Virat Singh is one of the youngsters to watch out for this year.
5. Kartik Tyagi ( Rajasthan Royals )
The 19-year-old Kartik Tyagi has a happy knack of picking wickets and clocks over 145 kph consistently. The fast bowler is a natural outswing bowler and is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers coming up the ranks in India. He was one of the key performers in the 2019 U-19 World Cup where he opened the bowling.
He was bought for ₹1.3 crores by Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 IPL auction. The young fast bowler is an investment for the future according to Rajasthan Royals co-owner Manoj Badale.
Kartik can open the bowling for Rajasthan along with Jofra Archer or Jaydev Unadkat. He will indeed be a valuable asset for the Jaipur franchise going into the future.