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Every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) sees a number of youngsters coming to the fore and making their mark.
It has thrown the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Deepak Chahar, among others, into the limelight. These players have since gone on to represent India, with the first two tasting plenty of success at the highest stage as well.
Before the advent of the IPL, players had to slog it out in domestic cricket for a ticket to the national squad. The T20 league has eased the path for players to make an impression on the people that matter.
The first phase of IPL 2021, which was held in India, also saw some impressive performances from upcoming talent before it was suspended due to COVID-19.
Youngsters to watch out for in 2nd half of IPL 2021
With less than a month to go for the resumption of IPL 2021, we take a look at five youngsters who are expected to perform well.
#1 Prithvi Shaw
There may be question marks over Prithvi Shaw's consistency. However, when in full flow, there are few more exciting sights in white-ball cricket. The Delhi Capitals (DC) opener had a memorable run in the first half of IPL 2021, smashing 308 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 166.48, with three fifties.
Shaw kicked off his IPL 2021 in whirlwind fashion, blasting 72 off 38 balls against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and featuring in a first-wicket stand of 138 with Shikhar Dhawan (85). Another blazing fifty followed in the tied encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which DC went on to win in the Super Over.
The 21-year-old also came up with a scintillating knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), smashing 82 off only 41 balls as DC made a mockery of a target of 155.
Shaw has had his ups and downs but he is finally beginning to achieve some degree of consistency. He looked in fine form in Sri Lanka as well and will look to carry on his good run in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
#2 Devdutt Padikkal
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Devdutt Padikkal set IPL 2021 on fire with a blistering ton in the match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the first half, forcing even Virat Kohli to take a back seat. It was an innings of complete domination as RCB walloped RR by 10 wickets.
The 21-year-old could not do much apart from that blazing knock and finished the first half with 195 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 152.34. Padikkal had a standout debut season in IPL 2020, when he was named ‘Emerging Player’ for hammering 473 runs in 15 matches and crossing the half-century mark five times.
A prolific scorer in domestic cricket in recent times, Padikkal became the first Indian player to smash four consecutive hundreds in List A cricket during the 2020-21 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was the second-leading run-scorer in the competition, with 737 runs. The elegant left-hander got his first taste of international cricket in Sri Lanka recently.
#3 Chetan Sakariya
In the short time that he has been in the spotlight since being picked by RR at the IPL 2021 auction for Rs 1.20 crore, Chetan Sakariya has lived up to the hype. The left-arm pacer was impressive during the first half of IPL 2021, claiming seven wickets in as many matches at a strike rate of 23.14.
Even as KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda went berserk when RR faced Punjab Kings (PBKS), Sakariya held his ground and returned with impressive figures of 3/31. He dismissed Mayank Agarwal at the start and returned to pick up the big scalp of PBKS skipper Rahul.
Sakariya came up with another memorable performance against CSK, this time claiming 3/36 and again getting the better of three big names in Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni. The 23-year-old played three games during the recent Sri Lanka series and made an impression with his skill and attitude.
#4 Ruturaj Gaikwad
The fluent CSK opener recovered from a poor start last season to crack three consecutive fifties towards the end and give the under-performing franchise something to cheer about. In the first few matches of this year's edition as well, Gaikwad struggled for runs, but found his rhythm as the tournament wore on.
Gaikwad scored 196 runs in seven games in the India leg of IPL 2021. He cracked a stroke-filled 64 from 42 balls in the game against KKR and then smashed 75 off 44 in a thumping victory over SRH. The 24-year-old formed a strong opening pair with Faf du Plessis.
Like most of the other newcomers, Gaikwad too had a tough initiation to international cricket in Sri Lanka. He scored 21 off 18 balls on his T20I debut and followed it up with 14 off 10 in his next outing. Gaikwad will feel more secure during the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
#5 Ravi Bishnoi
Unlike the other names on the list, promising PBKS leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was not on the flight to Sri Lanka. However, he is undoubtedly one of the brightest stars on the Indian circuit.
Picked at the IPL 2020 auction for an impressive Rs 2 crore, Bishnoi made an impact in his debut season itself, claiming 12 wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of 7.37. One of Bishnoi’s standout qualities is that he doesn't get bogged down even when up against the big-name batters in the league.
He was rewarded for his efforts with decent returns last year. In the first half of IPL 2021, the 20-year-old played four matches and claimed as many wickets. His best of 2/17 came in the shock upset over RCB.
Bishnoi was the highest wicket-taker in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, claiming 17 scalps. In the match against Japan, he took four wickets without conceding a run. His eventual figures read 4/5 in eight overs.
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