IPL 2019: Five uncapped Indian players to watch out for
The primary aim of the Indian Premier League is to provide a global platform for the local talent. The inscription on the IPL trophy reads – “Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi”, which means “where talent meets opportunity.” The T20 mega-event proves most helpful for the cricketers from the Indian domestic scene.
The domestic players gain a chance to rub shoulders with the best of the bests. They not only play with international cricketers but also experience the enormous popularity that the game provides. The IPL matches are an opportunity for the uncapped players to pave their way towards a spot in the national team.
In players auction for IPL 2019, many uncapped players became rich instantly as franchises sought them relentlessly. Here are five uncapped Indian cricketers who can make a tremendous impact in the upcoming season.
Rinku Singh
The 22-year old will be playing his third IPL season this year. Singh was picked up by Kings XI Punjab in 2017 but featured in only once. The Uttar Pradesh batsman shifted to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018. In four opportunities, Singh scored only 29 runs. However, the batsman will be hoping to sustain his domestic form into this year’s IPL. He piled 953 runs in 10 Ranji Trophy games and batted with a strike rate of 180-plus in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.
Sandeep Warrier
In 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, Kerala secured their maiden semifinals appearance. One of the performers, for them, was the right-arm medium pace bowler, Sandeep Warrier. He picked up 44 wickets in 10 matches. Warrier followed it with a hattrick in the T20 tournament. The medium pacer was initially ignored in the IPL, but he is now signed as the replacement for injured Kamlesh Nagarkoti. The 27-year old will play for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shivam Dube
In T20 cricket, power-hitters are the most sought-after cricketers. All the pre-auction buzz suggested Mumbai’s Shivam Dube earning a hefty IPL contract. It turned into reality when Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased him for five crores. The 25-year old shined in the recent edition of Ranji Trophy with his all-round performance. Known for his high-flying sixes, Dube smashed five sixes in an over in a Ranji Trophy match on the auction-eve.
Prabhsimran Singh
The 18-year old batsman-wicketkeeper from Punjab secured a 4.8 crore rupees contract from Kings XI Punjab for the 2019 IPL. The youngster first exhibited spark with his knock of 298 (301 balls) for Amritsar. He was the winning captain in India’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2018 campaign. Prabhsimran smashed 65 from 37 balls in the final. In the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he scored a quick-fire 54 from just 20 balls against Mumbai.
Varun Chakravarthy
The highest bid placed on an uncapped Indian cricketer in the 2019 players auction was 8.4 crores. Kings XI Punjab splurged the massive amount to secure Tamil Nadu’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. The 27-year old has around 7-8 variations with the white ball.
The 2018 Tamil Nadu Premier League was Varun’s first resounding success. He soon found himself in the state team for Vijay Hazare tournament. The mystery spinner finished as the second highest wicket-taker of the series with 22 wickets. He will be closely monitored by everyone in this season.
