Analysing how India's U-19 heroes performed in IPL 2018

Nowadays, no sport is devoid of competition that provides a platform to youngsters to shine and prove their mettle. While cricket has held a rich heritage of having many such local and international leagues that have helped produce some of the game's biggest names, the relatively recent advent of T20 cricket has given rise to many more such platforms.

India's premier T20 league, IPL, is one such global platform from where multiple cricketers evolve into heavier weights eventually.

Each year witnesses the cash-rich league identify some remarkable talents, from India as well as the foreign countries. This year too was no different as many youngsters held the crowds captive with their breathtaking performances.

However, given India's success tale in this year's ICC Under-19 World Cup, many fans were keen on seeing the young brigade perform in IPL 2018. With the tournament done and dusted now, here's how these future superstars fared this year and take a look at what lies ahead for Indian cricket.

#1 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw blew away everyone with his blistering strokeplay

After helping India script a famous U-19 World Cup victory, the team's captain, Prithvi Shaw, stood among the most talked about cricketers ahead of the start of this year's IPL. Purchased at a sum of Rs 1.2 crore by the Delhi Daredevils, Shaw did not get to take the field in the first few games of the franchise.

However, once he got the opportunity to showcase his skill, the 18-year-old blazed away with some brilliant strokeplay. With 260 runs in 9 games at a blistering strike rate of 153.12, Shaw has certainly done no harm in his first IPL stint. While the youngster was criticised by a few experts for his lack of temperament in crunch situations, Prithvi Shaw certainly seems to hold all the credits to evolve into a more mature cricketer in the coming days.

#2 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill looks to hold a lot in store for Indian Cricket

Coming into the tournament as the second highest run-getter in the ICC U-19 World Cup, Shubman Gill was one of the most exciting assets of Kolkata Knight Riders. Bought at a price of Rs 1.8 crore, the right-hander got to play the majority of the games for the men in purple and yellow.

As an 18-year -old, Gill, while mostly batting down the order and scored 203 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 146.04 and certainly did not disappoint the fans. His season even saw him play some crucial knocks which helped his team get over the line on several occasions. In addition to his run-scoring abilities, the experts were impressed with his calm temperament and the ability to maintain a steady head under pressure.

#3 Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi showcased his raw pace bowling skills at this year's IPL

Shivam Mavi impressed one and all with his raw pace. In fact, he was hailed by Brett Lee as the future of Indian pace bowling. Receiving a strong backing from his skipper, Dinesh Karthik, Mavi was more or less a regular feature in the playing XI of KKR this year.

Bought at a whopping sum of Rs 3 crores at the auction, the Noida boy ended up with just 5 scalps in 9 games at an economy rate of 9.64. Mavi's death bowling too came under the scanner as he was taken for plenty in the dying stages of the innings.

However, considering his inexperience at the big level, the speedster can only improve going forward in his career. Possessing a swift action and the right attributes of a fast bowler, Mavi can certainly be groomed into a future superstar of Indian cricket.

#4 Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma got to feature in only 3 games for Delhi Daredevils

Amritsar's Abhishek Sharma was one of India's major highlights at the ICC U-19 World Cup. The southpaw impressed everyone with his strokeplay and ability to hit the big shots, and thanks to his heroics in New Zealand, Sharma was picked up by the Delhi Daredevils for Rs 55 lakhs.

Sharma, however, was restricted to warm the bench for most of the season, before he made his IPL debut against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 17-year-old blew away the fans and critics alike with a blistering 46* off 19 balls, that included three fours and four sixes.

The youngster also received praise from cricketing legends such as Sunil Gavaskar, who even questioned DD's selection choices for not selecting Sharma earlier. With 63 runs in 3 limited opportunities, the left-handed batsman might not have got enough chances to steal the limelight but going by the few glimpses of his strokeplay, we can be rest assured that Sharma certainly packs a punch and is a cricketer to look out for in the future.

PS- Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Anukul Roy, and Manjot Kalra, unfortunately did not get to play this year. While Nagarkoti was hit by an injury, the other two were not provided a chance to take the field in IPL 2018.