IPL 2018 : Uncapped Indians XI

More often than not, teams with big superstars have failed to perform, while teams with lesser known players have done well in the tournament, and there lies the beauty of IPL. The lesser-known uncapped Indian players become vital to a team's success in the tournament. This year has been no different as a barrage of uncapped Indian players have taken full advantage of the opportunity given to them and have exceeded all expectations. While some of these players have been on the fringe for some time now, some have put their names in reckoning for a place in the national side after their exploits in IPL 2018.

Most of these players are already selected in the India A side for the England tour. We have picked an XI of uncapped Indian players who impressed the most in IPL 2018.

---

Openers

Prithvi Shaw

Shaw played some stunning innings for the Daredevils

After waiting for 5 matches, Prithvi Shaw was included in Delhi Daredevils' playing XI in place of the experienced Gautam Gambhir and he did not look back since then. The India U19 captain impressed one and all by playing some eye-catching innings at the top of the order. He scored 245 runs with a strike-rate of 153.12 in the 9 matches he played for the Daredevils. Shaw will look to continue his good form on India A's tour of England.

Suryakumar Yadav

Yadav was Mumbai Indians' highest run-scorer

It was a homecoming for Suryakumar Yadav as he got a chance to play for his home side Mumbai after getting picked at the auction by Mumbai Indians and he did not disappoint the team owners. Starting the tournament playing in the middle order, Yadav was promoted to open the innings and he responded brilliantly. He scored 512 runs at an impressive average of 36.57. This was by far Yadav's best IPL season.

Middle Order

Nitish Rana

Rana playing a cover drive

Kolkata Knight Riders relied heavily on uncapped Indian players, especially in the batting department. Nitish Rana relished this opportunity as he played some key innings for the franchise. He might not have scored big runs but played some impactful innings for KKR. He also provided some crucial breakthroughs with the ball, picking up 4 wickets.

Ishan Kishan

Kishan scored some quick runs in the middle overs

Ishan Kishan was the only uncapped wicket-keeper in IPL 2018. The former India U19 captain had a fruitful season as he scored 275 runs and played some crucial knocks for Mumbai Indians. He scored his runs at a healthy strike-rate of 149.45 which helped his team to get some quick runs in the middle overs. Kishan was also impressive with his work behind the stumps.

Shubman Gill

Gill took full advantage of the few opportunities that he got

Shubman Gill came into the IPL at the back of a 'Man-of-the-Tournament' performance in the U19 World Cup. Gill lived up to the expectations by playing some crucial innings in high-pressure situations. The standout feature of Gill's batting was his temperament. Even though he batted lower down the order, he scored runs at a decent average of 33.83 and a fantastic strike-rate of 146.04. Gill is certainly one for the future.

All-rounders and spinners

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya was retained by Mumbai Indians for a heavy price

Krunal Pandya is one of the most consistent uncapped players in the last few seasons. The senior Pandya had yet another productive season for Mumbai Indians as he succeeded in delivering the goods with both the bat and ball. He scored 228 runs at a high strike-rate of 145.22 and took 12 wickets bowling at an outstanding economy of 7.07 runs per over.

K Gowtham

Gowtham played a key role in Royals' journey to the playoffs

K Gowtham created a massive impact in his debut season. The Karnataka all-rounder, who was bought at a jaw-dropping price of 6.20 crores at the auction, justified the big bucks put on him by some fine performances. Gowtham often came to the crease when his team was in dire straits and won a few matches with his power hitting. He batted with a stupendous strike-rate of 196.87. With the ball too Gowtham aced the difficult task of bowling in the powerplays by giving away runs at an acceptable economy of 7.80 runs per over.

Mayank Markande

Markande took the priced wicket of MS Dhoni in the season opener

Mumbai Indians' spin department looked thin before the start of the tournament as they did not have any big names, but Mayank Markande took the onus on himself. The young off-spinner, who doesn't have much domestic experience either, bowled some good spells. He took 15 wickets in 14 matches and foxed some big names of international cricket, including CSK skipper MS Dhoni.

Fast bowlers

Deepak Chahar

Chahar bowled most of his overs in the powerplays

Dhoni and CSK have the knack of unearthing local fast bowling talent and Deepak Chahar is the latest addition to that list. The Rajasthan seamer was used excessively in the powerplays by Dhoni and he produced some good results. He took 10 wickets in the tournament with his incisive swing bowling and was rewarded with a selection in the India A side for the England tour. Chahar also showed promise with the bat towards the end of the season.

Siddharth Kaul

Kaul will be traveling as a part of the Indian limited-overs squad for the tour of England

Siddharth Kaul is probably the biggest beneficiary of IPL 2018. Owing to his good show in the IPL, Kaul was selected in India's limited-overs squads for the England tour. Kaul was a key member of SRH's strong bowling attack. The Punjab seamer took 21 wickets in the tournament bowling at a decent economy of 8.28 runs per over. He used the yorkers and knuckleballs to good effect and took a lot of wickets in the death overs.

Prasidh Krishna

Krishna bowled well at the death for KKR

Prasidh Krishna was called in as a replacement for Kamlesh Nagarkoti midway in the season. The fast bowler, who plays for Karnataka in the domestic circuit, made a mark for himself by bowling some steady spells for KKR. Karthik showed trust in the youngster and gave him the difficult task of bowling in the death. Prasidh didn't disappoint the skipper as he took 10 wickets in 7 matches, most of which were bowling in the death.