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Amidst all the hurrah of several reputed Indian players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma etc. and international stars like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers etc., there are also a few players who might not set the stage alight with their performances right away but can definitely be players to watch out for in the forthcoming tournament.Here are 5 such Indian players who might not ring a bell instantly but certainly have the potential to create a name for themselves during the tournament:
#5 Domnic Muthuswamy
Purchased by the Delhi Daredevils for Rs. 75 lakhs, Domnic Muthuswamy might not have the greatest of T20 records to boast about, but 11 wickets in as many matches at an economy of 7.54 does suggest that he could come in handy for the JP Duminy-led side, especially on pitches that offer some seam movement.
Another aspect that could go in favour of his selection in the team could be his stats in first-class cricket, where he has picked up 50 wickets in 21 matches at a miserly economy of 2.39 with best figures of 5 for 19.
Delhi have the likes of Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Shami, Gurinder Sandhu etc. in their ranks and so while it might be difficult for him to find a spot in the eleven at the start of the tournament, he could be tested out in some of the latter stages of the competition.
#4 Aditya Garhwal
Aditya Garhwal, over the last few months, been in the news for his massive appetite for runs and has been termed by many experts as the next big thing in Indian cricket. And there’s fair reason for him to be called that. The 18-year-old scored back-to-back scores of 263 and 196 for Rajasthan last October in two 50-over matches during the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and then backed that up with a 132-ball 212 against Vidarbha in the same tournament.
The Kight Riders bagged him for a sum of Rs. 25 lakhs and in a short T20 career of 11 matches, he has scored 133 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 147.77. While the Knight Riders possess an extremely capable batting line-up with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey etc., they certainly would want to give Garhwal a chance in a few of the matches and see how he fares against some of the international bowlers.
#3 Sheldon Jackson
Saurashtra batsman Sheldon Jackson was roped in by the Knight Riders for a sum of Rs. 15 lakhs. The right-hander might not have the best of strike rates, a mere 106.31, to boast about, but what does go in his favour is an impressive first-class record of 2075 runs in 26 matches at an average of 54.60. The 28-year-old has made 7 centuries and 10 fifties in his short career, and has certainly been one of the key players for his state side in the absence of Cheteshwar Pujara, when he is on national duty.
The Gautam Gambhir-led side have many explosive players in the line-up with the likes of Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell etc. but Jackson could well prove to the one who could play the sheet anchor’s role and play the big innings while batting in the middle-order.
#2 Sarfaraz Naushad Khan
17-year-old Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Naushad Khan might not be a household name yet, but he certainly has shown in the past, especially in the Under-19 World Cup last year that he is a capable batsman. He smashed a 74 off 78 balls against Pakistan and a 51-ball 45 against Scotland in that tournament, rescuing India from a tottering position of 22 for 5 in the match against the Scots, in pursuit of the opposition’s 88.
Sarfaraz was purchased by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a price of Rs. 70 lakhs and in a short T20 career, spanning 6 matches, he has made 71 runs at an extremely impressive strike rate of 157.77.
One of the areas that has hurt RCB in the previous editions of the T20 tournament has been the lack of Indian batting depth in their squad, which has meant that following the arrival of AB de Villiers at number 4 or 5, they have struggled to build good partnerships regularly and they would be hoping for someone like Sarfaraz to step up to the plate and perform when the opportunity comes his way.
#1 KC Cariappa
In 2012, the Kolkata Knight Riders sprung a surprise by picking mystery spinner Sunil Narine in their squad. That decision proved to be a masterstroke as the 26-year-old was completely unplayable, thanks to the pocketful of variations under his disposal.
Now, three years down the line, the franchise have done something similar by putting faith in the relatively unknown KC Cariappa, whom they bought at the auction in February for Rs. 2.4 crores.
The 20-year-old from Bengaluru is yet to play a domestic game for Karnataka but is very popular in the state’s local cricketing scene and was impressive in the Karnataka Premier League, where while playing for the Bijapur Bulls, he picked up 11 wickets.
With no clarity on whether Narine will be allowed to bowl in the upcoming edition of the T20 tournament, KKR fans will hope to see Cariappa play a big role for the Knight Riders and help them clinch their second IPL title on the trot.
