IPL 2019: 5 uncapped players who will have the biggest impact

It’s that time of the year again, with the IPL less than a month away. One thing that gets me excited about the IPL every year is the number of young uncapped players who get an opportunity to impress on the big stage.

There are always a few names of uncapped players thrown around during the auctions and this year was no different. In fact, this year saw some of those players being purchased for incredible amounts of money.

It can be quite hard to find out who the best uncapped player is, especially when you don’t know much about them. That’s why I’ve decided to do the work and sift through the noise and uncover the 5 uncapped players who could have a big impact for their teams this season.

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#5 Shivam Dube (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube was just one of the few uncapped players sold for a high price this year. He was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs. 5 crores. So what makes him so special?

Well, in the recent Ranji Trophy tournament, he hit 5 sixes in an over. This was the second time achieved the feat, having previously taken Pravin Tambe to the cleaners by smashing 5 sixes in an over in the MPL.

He will definitely have a role to play for RCB and will be used as a finisher who can come in to bat after the 15th over and hit a match-winning cameo. Moreover, Dube can be quite useful with the ball also if the need arises.

He will be one of those impact players that teams will need to watch out for. Even Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on the all-rounder in his column for Mid-Day when he wrote: “One player who will definitely be on the radar of the scouts of the franchises, as well as the national selectors, is Shivam Dubey. Not since Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly has a left-hander hit the ball so cleanly and powerfully in Indian cricket."

This IPL season promises to be an exciting one for Shivam Dube and RCB fans if the hype is real.

#4 Jalaj Saxena (Delhi Capitals)

Jalaj Saxena

Not much is known of the all-rounder who plays for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy. Jalaj Saxena was purchased by Delhi Capitals for a price of Rs. 20 lakhs. One one of the best all-rounders in domestic cricket over the years, he was even awarded the Lala Amarnath Award for best all-rounder by BCCI in 2016.

Not only is he useful with the bat, but he can bowl quite well as well. In the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, Saxena finished as the leading wicket-taker with 44 wickets from 7 matches. He even picked up 8 wickets in a single innings against Andra Pradesh.

Jalaj Saxena is the complete package when it comes to IPL players. All he needs is one chance to prove himself and once he does, expect all teams to take notice of this talented all-rounder.

#3 Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians)

Ishan Kishan

This isn’t Ishan Kishan’s first IPL season. He made his IPL debut in 2016 which turned out to be a forgettable season for the youngster. However, his next two seasons were quite memorable. He played a couple of match-winning knocks and proved to be a useful part of his franchise.

Ishan Kishan possesses the ability to strike the ball big and hard. He has an impressive strike-rate of 137.81 and only seems to be getting better with each passing season.

The young wicket-keeper batsman is currently in scintillating form for his team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Fans will expect him to carry his form into the IPL where he will play a crucial role for Mumbai Indians as a top order batsman.

There is a lot of potential in this young batsman who is just 20 years of age and 2019 could be a breakthrough season for him that could even earn him a national call-up.

#2 Shreyas Gopal (Rajasthan Royals)

Shreyas Gopal

Last year, Shreyas Gopal turned out to be a surprise package for the Rajasthan Royals team. He performed well and was pretty consistent in picking up wickets. He picked up 11 wickets in 11 games at an average of 21.66 and even claimed the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

He has also been a reliable all-rounder for his domestic team in the Ranji Trophy over the years, playing a pivotal role in helping his team claim the Ranji Trophy title in 2014.

Considering the fact that Rajasthan Royals are lacking a proper Indian spinner, Shreyas Gopal will be their spearhead this season.

It will be a make or break season for him with a lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders. If current form is anything to go by, then expect him to play a huge role in his franchise’s success this season.

#1 Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab)

Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy was the talk of the town at this year’s IPL auction due to the fact that he was purchased for a whopping sum of Rs. 8.4 crores by Kings XI Punjab.

For those of you who don’t know, Varun Chakravarthy is a mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu who came into the limelight due to his scintillating performances in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). During the course of the tournament, he picked up a total of 9 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 4.92.

Very little is known about his bowling, hence teams will be careful playing against him. He will also look to form a formidable bowling partnership with veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin this year.

With such a huge price tag, the KXIP management will expect him to deliver outstanding performances consistently. Varun possesses the skills needed to play for India in the near future and he will definitely be looking at this as an opportunity to impress the national selectors.

Don't be surprised if Varun Chakravarthy ends up winning the purple cap this season.