IPL 2018: Top 5 uncapped players of IPL XI so far

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always acted as a platform to find hidden talents. Over the years, the annual T20 competition has given the country many supremely talented players like Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are wrecking havoc in the international circuit nowadays.

This year hasn't been any different and though we are only 9 days into the tournament, many uncapped players have started to knock the door of the national selectors. Let us have a look at the 5 cricketers who can expect the precious blue jersey anytime soon:

---

#5 Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians)

Mumbai Indians' think-tank had to deal with overbearing criticism when they invested Rs 6.2 crores on a 19-year-old wicket-keeper from Jharkhand. But their gamble is paying off pretty well, as Kishan has scored 93 runs in 3 games, with two scores of 40 or more. Kishan had only one bad day in the office in the second match against SRH, but that was an extremely low-scoring encounter.

Besides that, Kishan has done pretty well for the defending champions. He scored 40 runs in the first game and 44 in his team's last game against DD. More importantly, he is scoring runs pretty quickly at a strike rate of over 150. With many contemplating about India's next wicket-keeper, once MS Dhoni decides to call the curtains, Kishan is surely making it to the selectors' notebooks.

#4 Rahul Tewatia (Delhi Daredevils)

In a team with spinners like Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Jayant Yadav, one doesn't expect Rahul Tewatia to run the show. But the 24-year-old leggie from Haryana has done exceptionally well so far. Tewatia has played 3 matches, in which he picked up as many wickets by conceding 89 runs.

Not that his numbers are too impressive, but judging by the treatment other DD bowlers received in the tournament so far, Tewatia's performance is highly commendable. In the first match against KXIP where KL Rahul was hitting boundaries for fun, Tewatia conceded just 24 runs in 4 overs and took Yuvraj Singh's wicket. He conceded just 29 runs in the second match against RR. Tewatia was a bit expensive in the last game against MI, in which he conceded 36 runs, but he dismissed both of MI's openers in Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis, who get them off a fiery start.

#3 Siddarth Kaul (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Sunrisers Hyderabad are said to have the best bowling attack of this year's IPL because of their amazing pace trio. Alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul has been doing well for the 'Orange Army'. Kaul has picked up 5 wickets in 3 matches at an impressive economy rate of under 7 runs per over.

He picked up 2 wickets in the first game against RR by conceding just 17 runs in his 4 overs. In the second match against MI, Kaul conceded 29 runs and picked up two crucial wickets in the form of Evin Lewis and Ishan Kishan. His only bad game was in the last match against KKR, but that didn't hurt SRH as they won the game comfortably. Kaul had a great role to play in SRH's 3-match winning streak.

#2 Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians)

The Mumbai-born cricketer has had a fairly good time at KKR, but he never looked like a player who can be an orange cap contender. But now if we look into the list of top run scorers of this year's IPL, Yadav's name comes fourth in the list. The 24-year-old batter has scored 124 runs in 3 games, averaging over 40.

Yadav scoring a quickfire 43 in the first game against CSK, which was filled with 6 classy boundaries. In the low-scoring game against SRH were MI managed to score only 147, Yadav scored vital 28 runs. But the local lad's breakthrough innings came in the last game against DD, where he opened the innings alongside Evin Lewis. Yadav scored 53 runs from just 32 deliveries, and this time he struck 7 boundaries. Now that the Yadav-Lewis opening pair has done well for MI, they might stick with it and we might see more fiery knocks from him.

#1 Mayank Markande (Mumbai Indians)

How ironic it is that 3 Mumbai Indians players feature in this list yet they have failed to win a game in this year's IPL so far? However, they have surely gifted some supremely talented cricketers who can do wonders for India in the upcoming years, and Mayank Markande lies in the top of that list.

The 20-year-old spinner from Bathinda, Punjab has made himself a household name with his exceptional performances. He has picked up 7 wickets in 3 games and is currently the proud owner of the purple cap. Markande announced his arrival in the first game against CSK, where he took 3 wickets and conceded just 23 runs. For those wondering whether he is a one-match wonder or not, Markande's performance in the second match was even better. He conceded the same runs and took 4 wickets. However, Markande received a different treatment in the last game against DD, where Jason Roy decided not to discriminate bowlers on the basis of their form and punish everyone. Despite conceding 42 runs from 3 overs in the last game, Markande's economy rate is 8 runs per over. If he continues his good run of form, he can soon join the likes of Yuzvendra Chahals and Kuldeep Yadavs.

---

Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!