IPL 2018: Five young Indian players to watch out for

The IPL is a fantastic amalgamation of experience and youth. Young Indian players who are beginning their careers get to play alongside some of the greatest players to have ever played the game.

This has resulted in India producing a fantastic batch of limited overs cricketers, like Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Hardik Pandya who were all first selected off the back of strong IPL performances. These players have gone on to excel for India at the highest level.

This begs the question of who will be the next crop of players to play for India after good IPL stints. Therefore, this article looks at five young uncapped Indian players to watch out for in the upcoming IPL.

#5 Manjot Kalra

The Delhi Daredevils bought 19-year-old Manjot Kalra for 20 lakhs in the IPL Auction. Rightly so, given his incredible performances in the U-19 World Cup for India.

He was named in the team of the tournament as an opener and turned heads with his 101* in the final against Australia. This ultimately led to India chasing down their total and lifting the trophy. With scores of 47 and 86 against Pakistan and Australia (the latter in the groups), Kalra proved to be a key cog in India's success.

Kalra is yet to play any first-class matches or domestic T20 tournaments and this could be his breakout opportunity. He will be playing alongside international stars like Jason Roy and Glenn Maxwell and could learn a lot from them. Kalra may initially struggle to get a spot in the team, but if he gets the opportunity to play, he will be a player worth looking out for.

#4 Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi fetched an incredible 3 crore at the auction

India rarely produce out-and-out fast bowlers, but Shivam Mavi proved in the U-19 World Cup that he could bowl regularly at 140 kph. Mavi performed consistently throughout the World Cup, notably taking 3-45 against Australia and 2-27 against Bangladesh.

An opening bowler, Mavi was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL auction and went for a very high 3 crores. Going in with a modest base price of 20 lakhs, Mavi was the attention of numerous teams and KKR were lucky to sign this rising prospect.

KKR invested in youth in the auction as they also signed Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who is just 18 years of age. However, they already boast an amazing array of fast bowlers, including Aussie pair Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, and West Indian Andre Russell. Yet, the fact that they paid so much for him suggests that he may be part of their plans. It will be exciting to see how he fares in the tournament and the role he plays for KKR.

#3 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw captained India's U-19 World Cup side

India's captain in their successful U-19 World Cup campaign was opening batsman Prithvi Shaw. He partnered Kalra at the top of the order and was also named in the team of the tournament. Throughout the tournament, he showcased his talent and ended up with scores of 94, 57*, 40, 41 and 29. Shaw excels in playing on the front foot, with his cover drives being a joy to watch. An impressive slip fielder as well, Shaw is the complete package.

Since the U-19 World Cup, he has played for Mumbai, India A and the Rest of India teams. He has performed consistently, with three fifties in his last seven innings across all three formats. His domestic record is phenomenal, averaging 56 in the ten first-class matches he has played. Moreover, has scored his runs at a blistering strike rate of 73.92.

It was not surprising, therefore, to see him bought for 1.2 crores by the Delhi Daredevils. He will be a strong contender to open the batting for their side.

#2 Shubman Gill

Some fans have labelled Shubman Gill the next Virat Kohli

Another batsman and another U-19 World Cup star, Shubman Gill was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 1.8 crores. It was his 102* (94) against rivals Pakistan that propelled him to fame and he hit four consecutive scores of over 50. Consistent and prolific are fitting adjectives to describe Gill.

Post the World Cup, Gill hit a fantastic 123* (122) against a strong Karnataka side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This was particularly impressive given that his opening partner Manan Vohra was bowled on the first ball of their innings and that Yuvraj Singh only managed 36. Gill's first class record at this early stage is strong, averaging 61 and striking at 81. He will be a very exciting player to keep an eye on in the upcoming IPL and is already a fan favourite at this early stage.

#1 Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Kamlesh

Nagarkoti

is one of the most exciting prospects in India at the moment

Arguably the most exciting talent that the U-19 World Cup revealed was Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Videos circulated of him online bowling at over 140 kphs in the tournament and he got the ball to swing quite a bit. In particular, it was his spell of 3/29 against a strong Australia side that made fans pay attention to this bowler. He followed this up with outings of 3/18 against Bangladesh and 2/41 in the final.

Nagarkoti was signed for 3.2 crores by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Like Shivam Mavi, he will be playing alongside Starc and Johnson which could be a huge chance for him to develop as a bowler. He is likely to get a few games throughout the duration of the tournament and could be a high impact player when he gets the opportunity to play.