The corona pandemic has drained people economically, and more importantly, emotionally and mentally. Prolonged lockdowns have forced people to stay put in their homes, without work most of the time. As the lockdowns have eased, still, places of entertainment like cinema halls and multiplexes haven’t been allowed to open. And this country, hungry for entertainment, is getting restless. However, this year’s edition of IPL, albeit being organized in the UAE, behind closed doors, is just around the corner, and the cricket crazy fans just can’t keep calm.
Each edition of IPL brings an opportunity for new recruits of various franchises to shine and show their capabilities. And a good and fruitful stint in the IPL can give them a chance to catch the eyes of the selectors, giving them a potential shot at getting selected for the national team.
Here are 5 potential stars, carrying in a great hype and talent on their backs, entering into this year’s edition of the IPL
Yashasvi Jaiswal:
One of the most heartening stories of cricket, Yashasvi Jaiswal has shown that with sheer grit, determination, and hard work, nothing can stop you from pursuing your passion and excelling. Never compromising his dream to wear the coveted blue jersey, Yashasvi had to overcome tremendous odds to make a mark on the national stage. By now, everyone is familiar with his heart-wrenching story of struggle. He was thrown out of a shop where he used to sleep, and lived with groundsmen, at the Azad Maidan. He used to sell pani-puri outside the ground in order to make a living, but never once losing the focus of his passion.
And finally, he came with a bang in the domestic circuit, becoming the youngest player to score a double century in the Vijay Hazare trophy in 2019. And his dream run continued into the U 19 World Cup, where he scored 400 runs, with 59 being his lowest score in the tournament. And unsurprisingly, he was awarded the coveted Player of the Tournament.
He has been picked up by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping 2.4 crores. With his immense talent, he will be looking for a big debut on the glitzy stage.
Tom Banton:
This swashbuckling 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from England first caught the eye in last year’s edition of the Big Bash League. Playing for the Brisbane Heats, he scored a total of 223 runs in 7 innings, scoring at a blistering strike rate of 177 runs, hitting 16 maximums.
He made his international T20 debut in November 2019 against New Zealand and has scored 205 runs in 9 innings so far at a strike rate of 143. Although good, the numbers don’t do justice to this young lad’s talent and is surely one to watch out for. He seems to be a smart investment for KKR who snapped him up for a base price of 1 crore.
Riyan Parag:
Third, on the list is this young all-rounder from Guwahati. He was a part of the 2018 under-19 World Cup winning team alongside Prithvi Shaw and Shubhman Gill. Although he did not get much opportunity to showcase his talent during the tournament, he has some solid performances in the domestic circuit under his belt. He made his T20 debut for Assam in 2017 during the interstate T20 tournament at the age of 16 years. During the same year, he made his first-class debut in the Ranji trophy, playing for Assam. He was the leading run-scorer for Assam in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare trophy, scoring 248 runs in 7 matches.
He made his IPL debut in 2019 for Rajasthan Royals at his base price of 20 lacs. But he showed he is worth much more, as he went on to become the youngest batsmen in the history of IPL to score a half-century. He has been retained by the Royals for the upcoming season, a smart decision indeed, as he has shown to be a tidy bowler too, when needed, with his carrom balls.
Ravi Bishnoi:
This young leg spinner from Rajasthan, who comes in as a handy batsman too, made his T20 debut for Rajasthan in Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in 2019. He played for India in the under-19 World Cup and became the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, almost leading India to win the cup in the finals, picking up 4 wickets at an economy of 3 runs.
Picked up by Kings XI Punjab, this young talent can learn a lot from the legendary Anil Kumble and become a lethal weapon on the slow wickets of UAE.
Devdutt Padikkal:
Making his debut in the Ranji trophy in the 2018-19 edition for Karnataka, he went on to become the leading run-scorer in both Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy during the last season. In the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 580 runs at a scintillating strike rate of 175 runs.
Often compared to Yuvraj Singh for his batting style, he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a base price of 20 lacs for the 2019 season of IPL. Although he never got to show his talent in the 2019 season, he would have surely learned a lot from sharing the dressing room with legends like VK and ABD, and would be raring to have a go during this season, with his ability to adapt well at any number he is sent to bat on.
