Top 5 Indian debutants in IPL 2015

One of the biggest USPs of the IPL is the opportunity that it provides to the young Indian players, previously unknown, to rise from the lower rungs of domestic cricket to the international stage. Over the years, we have seen plenty of young names making their mark on one of the biggest platforms in world cricket and some have even went on to play for the Indian national team courtesy of some stellar IPL performances.

This season was no different as we witnessed more such players spread across different franchisees. So here are 5 Indian debutants who impressed us the most this year:

5. Sarfaraz Khan

Comparison with Sachin have alredy begun

This 17-year old young man made jaws drop with his blistering 45 runs of 21 balls against the Rajasthan Royals, and some even went to the extent of comparing him with a 16-year old Sachin Tendulkar smashing Waqar Younis for boundaries more than 25 years ago.

After having an impressive outing at the U-19 World Cup, the Royal Challengers Bangalore had picked him up, making him the youngest player to be signed at the 2015 auctions.

Matches	Innings	Runs	50s	HS	SR	Average	4s/6s
11	6	79	0	45*	160.22	26.33	8/2

4. Hardik Pandya

One of the architects in reviving MI’s campaign

Playing for Mumbai Indians, this 21-year old impressed everyone with his calm demeanour, which reflects in his composed batting style. However, when his team requires him to hit quick-fire innings, Pandya steps up to do the job, as he did against Chennai Super Kings when he played a blinder of 21 runs from 8 balls.

Many domestic players and coaches have deemed Hardik as “the one to watch out for”. Clearly, he has shown glimpses of his genius in IPL 2015.

Matches	Innings	Runs	50s	HS	SR	Average	4/6s
7	6	111	1	61*	191.37	37.00	9/8

3. Dominic Joseph Muthuswami

Made his debut at the age of 34

This 34-year-old bowler from Pune was a tennis-ball cricketer till as late as about 2011. Used to bowling in almost empty stadiums in first-class matches, Joseph played his first big match in Delhi’s first IPL match against Chennai Super Kings, in a jam-packed Chepauk stadium.
Bowling to MS Dhoni, one of the greatest finishers of the shorter formats, and that too in the death overs is perhaps scariest ways to start an IPL career. But Joseph managed to concede just one run in the 17th over, bowling to Dhoni along with a wicket. His performance impressed not only his teammates, but also the world cup-winning captain-coach combo of MS and Gary Kirsten.

Matches	BBI	Wickets	Runs	Economy	Maidens
6	2/18	4	101	7.21	0

2. Deepak Hooda

Could he be the next gem unearthed by the Royals?

Deepak Hooda is another success story of Rajasthan Royal’s fancy of promoting new talent to the big stage. The 20-year old lower order batsman from Baroda has had a phenomenal strike rate this season, along with a decent bowling economy rate.

Hooda has been one of the biggest finds this season, and has grabbed the attention of cricket lovers and experts with his big hitting and all round capabilities.

Matches	Innings	Runs	50s	HS	SR	Average	4s/6s
13	8	140	1	54	172.83	17.50	6/11

1. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer could win the young player of the year award

One of the few positives for the Delhi Daredevils this season, this young batsman from Mumbai has been in sublime form. Opening for DD, the 20-year-old has been the only consistent performer for his squad.

Right from the start of the 2015 edition, Shreyas has been a key contender for the Pepsi Emerging Player award, and is most likely to win it.