IPL 2021: 5 young guns who can make an impact in the UAE leg

#3 Chetan Sakariya

Chetan Sakariya celebrates a wicket with his RR teammates (Pic: IPLT20.COM)

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.

Chetan Sakariya picks up the big wicket of MS Dhoni and now has three wickets under his belt.Live - https://t.co/vRHaGGSTjJ #CSKvRR #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/n664ZaHG30

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 19, 2021

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.

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#4 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad has come good for CSK at the top of the order (Pic: IPLT20.COM)

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.

Highest batting avg in IPL at UAE venue (Min 200 runs) :57.22 - Ishan Kishan51.00 - Ruturaj Gaikwad50.00 - Kieron Pollard49.31 - KL Rahul48.00 - Dwayne Smith#IPL2021 #IndianPremierLeague

— ComeOn Sports 🇮🇳 (@ComeOn_Sports) August 20, 2021

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.

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#5 Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi celebrates a wicket against MI (Pic: IPLT20.COM)

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.

Over No. 3 gets wicket No. 3Ravi Bishnoi with a marvellous effort. He runs and covers the distance, puts in the dive, takes the catch and sets off! Narine has to walk back.😳🤩https://t.co/sBoaBIpF2J #PBKSvKKR #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/mVVB4bFY2N

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 26, 2021

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.