4 young players who can use the IPL as a launchpad to cement their place in the Indian team

#4 Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj's journey from rags to riches is a heart-warming one. The son of an auto-driver in Hyderabad, Siraj has shown that relentless hard work can pay off. He started off as a batsman who could bowl 'a bit'.

His first few seasons in domestic cricket weren't exceptional, and he went unnoticed. However, 41 wickets from nine games in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season saw Siraj end the trophy's joint third-highest wicket-taker.

His consistent line and length and ability to hit the deck hard caught the attention of scouts. He was bought for an impressive ?2.6 crores in the 2017 auctions by the Sunrisers Hyderabad. His natural wicket-taking ability saw him nab 10 wickets from six matches in IPL 2017.

His inspired performances in the Ranji trophy and the IPL saw him deservedly earn a spot in the India A side. He was then called upon by the national squad and earned his first cap in a T20 against New Zealand in November 2017.

Despite a mediocre performance, he was given a rare second chance by the selectors for the T20 squad vs. Sri Lanka. He featured in the third T20, where he got the important wicket of Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera, but leaked a lot of runs.

Having not been selected for the ODI squad to tour South Africa, Siraj will be looking to show what he is capable of in the Indian Premier League. The young speedster from Hyderabad will be driven to continue his extraordinary story by putting in a commendable effort in the IPL and earning the faith of the Indian selectors.