IPL 2018: 5 uncapped Indian pacers who have been impressive

#3 Ankit Rajpoot - Kings XI Punjab

Ankit Rajpoot has lead KXIP to victories in a couple of matches

Ankit Rajpoot who hails from Uttar Pradesh made his first-class debut in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season as a 19-year old. A hit-the-deck-hard bowler, Rajpoot shined in his debut season picking 31 wickets - second highest wicket-taker for UP that season. With Venkatesh Prasad as UP's bowling coach for a couple years, Rajpoot, like a sincere student, absorbed and implemented whatever he was taught by Prasad.

With a dearth of good Indian pacers during this period saw Rajpoot earning an IPL contract from CSK for IPL 2013. He was a bit below par and was replaced by Mohit Sharma after first few games. Sharma bowled exceedingly well cementing his place in the side. Rajpoot's career graph dwindled as he had a poor run in the following domestic seasons as well but the gritty pacer did not lose his focus. Finally, the 2016 Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy proved to be a career-changing tournament for him as he became the third highest wicket-taker that season and was picked up by KKR the same year.

After performing reasonably well for KKR in the two seasons IPL 2016 and 2017, he joined the KXIP for IPL 2018. Picking up 8 wickets in just 5 matches at an economy rate of 8.05, Rajpoot has been instrumental in KXIP's success this season. He bowled a match-winning spell of 2-23 in 4 overs against the DD. He also bagged the first five-wicket haul of this year's IPL demolishing the SRH batting lineup with unbelievable figures of 5-14 in his quota of 4 overs. In both the matches, he won the man-of-the-match award.