IPL 2018: Uncapped Indian XI of the tournament

The Indian Premier League has never failed to amaze us by producing new talents every year. Every season there are players who are unheard of before the tournament and eventually become household names post-tournament.

The competition is a good platform for the youngsters to make a mark and get selected for the national team. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were all, once struggling names in the Indian domestic circuit.

The 11th edition of IPL has been no different. Some very promising talents have emerged this time as well. These will be the future pillars of Indian cricket and to play at this level will only add to their experience.

The article looks at the best uncapped XI from this year of the Indian Premier League.

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#1 Prithvi Shaw (Delhi Daredevils)

The U-19 World Cup winning captain was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for Rs 1.2 crore. Though he made his debut only in DD’s sixth match, he caught everyone’s attention with a quickfire 10 ball 22. In his second match, he helped his team post a massive score of 219 with a 44-ball 62.

The highlight of Shaw’s batting was his fearlessness. He took the bowlers of international repute to the cleaners. His style of play resembled the likes of Tendulkar and Sehwag. His 47 run innings against RR and 65 against SRH, were nothing less than a treat to watch.

Though his form dipped a bit in the later stage of the tournament, the Mumbai batsman showed enough promise to be a prospect for the national team. As many have already touted him, Prithvi Shaw might be the next big thing in Indian cricket.

M-9, Inn-9, Runs-245, Avg-27.22, SR-153.12

#2 Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians)

The Mumbai batsman started in the middle order for his franchise. There was a real change in his performance though when he was promoted to open the batting alongside Evin Lewis. He scored a stroke-filled 53 against DD helping his team reach a total of 194. Though MI lost that match, it marked the beginning of Yadav’s resurgence.

It was Suryakumar Yadav’s consistency that made him look so good. Also, the Mumbai lad barely tried any pyrotechnics and relied on proper cricketing shots. These were shots that every coach would be proud of. Though MI didn’t make it to the final four, Suryakumar Yadav has made a strong statement for his selection in the Indian cricket team.

M-14, Inn-14, Runs-512, Avg-36.57, SR-133.33

#3 Ishan Kishan (WK) (Mumbai Indians)

People had their doubts when Ishan Kishan was bought for 6.2 crores by the Mumbai Indians. He put all those seeds of doubt to rest by scoring a fluent 40 against CSK in the first match of IPL 2018. He then scored a 23-ball 44 against the Delhi Daredevils.

Kishan had the modern-day player attitude in him throughout the tournament. Fearlessness was on display whenever the 19-year old was on the crease.

The Jharkhand wicket-keeper played to his strengths and not according to the bowler’s reputation. Him taking on Kuldeep Yadav at the Eden Gardens will always remain one of the highlights of the IPL. Needless to say, he was one of the best batsmen in the bunch of shining youngsters.

M-14, Inn-12, Runs-275, Avg-22.92, SR-149.46

#4 Shubman Gill (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The U-19 player set the World Cup on fire with his consistent performances. He ended the competition with the “Man of the Tournament” award. Though he didn’t get many chances with the KKR, he performed well in the ones that he got.

His 57 off 36 against CSK was his best innings in the tournament, where KKR chased CSK’s 177 with 14 balls to spare. He almost took his team to victory in the second qualifier. Much like Suryakumar Yadav, he played only cricketing shots, which were very pleasing to the eye.

He has been often compared to the greats of the game and it won’t come as a surprise if he becomes one of the mainstays of the Indian cricket team in the future.

M-13, Inn-11, Runs-203, Avg-33.23, SR-146.04

#5 Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The Delhi batsman came into limelight when he first played for the Mumbai Indians in 2017. He had the ability to turn the game on its head. In 2018, it was KKR who acquired his services and he didn’t disappoint them.

As most Indian batsmen do, Rana played spin very well throughout the tournament. His ability to play spin well meant that the scoreboard kept moving and the pressure never really built up. He could also switch gears quickly when required.

A new surprise was in store when he was given the ball by Dinesh Karthik. As it turned out, he picked up the wickets of both Kohli and AB Devilliers in a single over.

M-13, Inn-13, Runs-279, Avg-23.38, SR-131.03

#6 Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

Krunal Pandya had been an integral part of MI in 2017, but the Mumbai franchise using the RTM for him at 8.8 crores, raised a few eyebrows. In hindsight, retaining Krunal Pandya was a brave but an excellent decision.

The elder brother of the two Pandyas provided the perfect balance to the side. He could bat anywhere in the batting order and give his captain four overs every day. This made him an invaluable asset to the team.

He, very often provided late flourish while batting and provided breakthroughs at crucial moments in the game. Krunal Pandya has been picked for the India A side and many cricket pundits believe that it’s time to drop the A from it.

M-14, Inn-13,Runs-228, Avg-22.80,SR-145.22, Wickets-12,Economy-7.07, Best- 3/28

#7 Krishnappa Gowtham ( Rajasthan Royals)

The Karnataka all-rounder was picked by the Mumbai Indians in 2017 for Rs. 2 crores. As it turned out, he didn’t play a single game for them. This year, he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for a whopping sum of 6.2 crores.

The tall off-spinner proved to be of great value to the Jaipur-based franchise. For the Royals, he bowled in the powerplay. Not only did he contain the batsmen, but also picked up wickets of important batsmen. Him dismissing Virat Kohli in Rajasthan Royal’s last league game was one such example.

It was his batting though, which got the IPL community talking. Gowtham, throughout the tournament, hit sixes for fun and he showed remarkable consistency in it. His 11-ball 33 against MI at Jaipur to take his team over the line was truly special.

M-14, Inn-12, Runs-117, SR-205.26, Wickets-9, Economy-8.03, Best-2/12

#8 Deepak Chahar ( Chennai Super Kings)

The swing bowler from Rajasthan was picked by the Chennai Super Kings for 80 lakhs. His ability to swing the new ball made him a potent weapon for MS Dhoni, who has always given the swinging ball great importance.

He made even good batsmen look meek when he was on a roll. His four-over burst against SRH at Pune where he bowled to the likes of Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, and Kane Williamson was a prime example.

His best figures in the tournament were also against SRH at Hyderabad where he took 3/15. He also showed his batting ability in CSK’s last league game against KXIP where he scored 39 off 20 after being promoted in the batting order. As Sthepen Fleming would call him, he was a “complete cricketer” during the IPL.

M-10, Inn-10, Wickets-10, Economy-7.28, Best-3/15

#9 Ankit Rajpoot (Kings XI Punjab)

The tall pacer was impressive with KKR in 2017 but was roped in by KXIP for the 2018 edition. Rajpoot was impressive throughout the tournament where he generated some serious pace. He also swung the ball, which made him an important member of the team.

His best figures of 5/14 came against SRH at Hyderabad. Three of his victims were Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, and Manish Pandey. It remained the best figures in the tournament. He was fiery throughout the tournament and let the emotions flow. With pace and having the ability to swing the ball, the UP pacer might soon be knocking the doors of the Indian selectors.

M-8, Inn-8, Wickets-11, Economy-8.52, Best- 5/14

#10 Siddharth Kaul (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Siddharth Kaul carried his IPL 2017 form into this year’s edition. The pacer gave it his all in every delivery that he bowled as a result of which he was very successful in this year’s IPL. He was the highest wicket-taker for SRH in the league stage of the tournament.

The transformation of Kaul has been very inspiring. He led SRH’s pace battery when Bhuveneshwar Kumar wasn’t fit and did it pretty well. The Punjab lad showed a great variety of variations. He seemed to have almost perfected the knuckleball.

There were off days for Siddharth Kaul as well, but as a whole, he had an impressive tournament. He did well enough to earn a place in India’s ODI squad to England and if he keeps performing this way, a bright future lies ahead.

M-17, Inn-17, Wickets-21, Economy- 8.29, Best- 3/23

#11 Mayank Markande (Mumbai Indians)

Barely had anyone heard of Mayank Markande when he was drafted in the XI for MI’s first match against CSK and it seemed MI are playing him just because they had to play a spinner. All those theories were put to rest by the 20-year old.

He ended with figures of 3/23 in his very first IPL match. He trapped MS Dhoni in front with a beautiful googly. Rayudu, who would later set the IPL on fire, too was one of his victims. He followed it up with a 4-wicket haul against SRH.

Markande showed great variations throughout the league stage as he went on to become MI’s lead spinner in IPL 2018, playing all 14 matches. Though his performance curve dropped a bit in the latter stages of the tournament, he still managed to leave an impact on this year’s IPL.

M-14, Inn-14, Wickets-15, Economy- 8.36, Best- 4/23