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The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to take place next month in the UAE, and most teams have begun training camps in preparation of the return of top-level franchise cricket.
The IPL has largely achieved the objective that it set out to do, and has unearthed a host of young talent in the country. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah became regulars in the Indian cricket team following their consistent performances in the IPL.
Uncapped Indians to watch out for in the 2020 IPL
The 2020 edition of the IPL is expected to be no different, and there are many upcoming players waiting in the wings of all 8 teams. The absence of Australian and English players in the first week of the cash-rich tournament might also help these players' cause.
Apart from the usual suspects like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, here are 5 lesser-known uncapped Indian cricketers to watch out for in IPL 2020.
#5 Virat Singh
Widely heralded as the greatest talent to come out of Jharkhand in recent years, Virat Singh was bought for 1.9 crores by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2020 IPL auction.
The attacking southpaw finished the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as his state's leading-run scorer, with 343 runs in 10 games at an average of 57.16 and strike rate of 142.32. Virat Singh unsurprisingly idolises MS Dhoni, and much of his big hitting takes inspiration from the former Indian captain.
With David Warner and Jonny Bairstow expected to miss the first few games, the 22-year-old could find himself thrown into the IPL cauldron. Virat Singh has shown a tendency to rise up to the occasion in big games, and is definitely a player to keep an eye on in the 2020 IPL.
#4 Varun Chakravarthy
One of the finds of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Varun Chakravarthy saw Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) snap him up for 8.4 crores in the 2019 IPL auction.
Although the mystery spinner played only 1 game in which he conceded 35 runs in 3 overs, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won a bidding war to snap him up for 4 crores for this year's IPL. In spin-friendly conditions in the UAE, Varun could well be a regular in the playing XI for KKR.
The 2-time IPL champions have often operated with three spinners, and the departure of Piyush Chawla to the Chennai Super Kings opens up a spot for the 28-year-old. The presence of Sunil Narine would also greatly help Varun, with the West Indian being perhaps the greatest mystery spinner the IPL has ever seen.
We could see Varun finally justify his price tag and set the IPL on fire.
#3 Abhishek Sharma
A member of India's 2018 U-19 World Cup-winning squad, Abhishek Sharma was perhaps overlooked by his more illustrious teammates such as Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill. But the young all-rounder made a spectacular entry in the IPL with a stroke-filled 19-ball 46 when playing for the Delhi Capitals in the same year.
After being picked up by SRH, Abhishek Sharma played just 4 games for the franchise, scoring 9 runs and picking up 1 wicket. But the dusty UAE pitches might mean that the 19-year-old is given an extended run of games for SRH.
Head coach Tom Moody has been vocal about giving young players chances, and likes of Abhishek and Abdul Samad might just be the finds of this year's IPL.
#2 Krishnappa Gowtham
Krishnappa Gowtham has had flashes of brilliance in the IPL, such as his 11-ball 33 to pull off an almost impossible chase for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). But in 22 games for the 2008 IPL champions, the 6.4-crore acquisition scored only 144 runs and picked up 12 wickets.
Gowtham's 2019 IPL season was especially poor as he tallied 18 runs and 1 wicket in 7 games, but the upcoming edition of the IPL might unleash him. The Karnataka all-rounder will play under state teammate KL Rahul at the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), and will be one of the key spinners in a lineup that looks largely inexperienced after trading away former captain Ravichandran Ashwin.
The conditions in the UAE will favour Gowtham and playing with many of his state teammates might bring the best out of him.
#1 Sarfaraz Khan
After bursting onto the IPL scene as a stocky teenager who could play the most impossible shots in the book, Sarfaraz Khan found himself out of favour at the side owing to his poor fitness levels.
The 22-year-old did, however, show flashes of his old form at RCB at new franchise KXIP last year. Sarfaraz scored 180 runs in 8 games at a healthy average of 45, and played many of the shots that made him one of the most sought-after youngsters in the IPL.
He is also on the back of an astounding domestic season in which he scored a triple ton in the Ranji Trophy, and could excel under his former RCB teammate KL Rahul. Sarfaraz has struggled with fitness and the weight of his own expectations in the IPL, but could finally come of age in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.
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