Best Uncapped XI From IPL 2018

The IPL has helped discover some of the best talents in Indian cricket. From Ravindra Jadeja to Yuzvendra Chahal, the IPL has given opportunities for many players to showcase their talent.

Every year, almost 5 uncapped players have made their debut for the national side. Often, matches have been decided solely on the performance of these uncapped players and they are X-Factors for any team.

Let's take a look at the Best XI formed by the uncapped players from IPL 2018.

Note: These players were uncapped during, and at the end of the IPL. A few of them have made their debuts now.

#1 Opener- Prithvi Shaw (Delhi Daredevils)

Prithvi Shaw has been the talk of the town ever since he led India to a victory in the U-19 World Cup. His rise from playing school level cricket to playing for the national side has been meteoric.

Shaw made his Test debut recently against West Indies where he scored a stroke-filled and flamboyant hundred on debut and won the Man of the Match award. He followed it up with 73 and 34* in the second match of the series. Shaw became an instant sensation and will look to continue the home form when India go Down Under touring Australia later this month.

Shaw was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for INR 1.2 Crore but didn't get to play in the first half of the tournament. When captain Gambhir lost his form and relegated himself back to the pavilion, Shaw was handed a chance to prove his mettle and the youngster didn't disappoint. He scored a quickfire 22 of 10 balls before he was dismissed and retained his place in the side for the next game

He scored 62 in his very next match against the KKR and received praise and applause from all around. He finished the tournament with 245 runs from 8 innings averaging 34.6 with a strike rate of 153 which is simply outstanding. He provided quick starts to the Daredevils for players like Pant and Shreyas Iyer to consolidate.

#2 Opener- Suryakumar Yadav(Mumbai Indians)

Suryakumar Yadav was a revelation for the Mumbai Indians when he was given the chance to open the batting. Rohit Sharma looked out of sorts opening the batting and Mumbai Indians were struggling for runs at the top of the order when Yadav was sent in to open the batting. He scored five 50s in the tournament where he finished off with 512 runs in 14 innings averaging 37 with a strike rate of 134.

He preferred opening the batting than playing at number 4. He scored 441 runs as an opener averaging 38 with a strike rate of 140. He scored 61 fours and 19 sixes in the tournament. He can certainly be a candidate for the Indian Team and can make a difference for them.

#3- Batsman ( No.3) - Ishan Kishan( Mumbai Indians)

Ishan Kishan is yet another product of the U-19 Indian team. He led the Indian U-19 team in the 2016 U-19 World Cup and though he had a bad World Cup, he made his entry into the IPL with his phenomenal Ranji Trophy performances for Jharkhand.

He played for the Gujarat Lions in 2016 and 2017 and was a positive from the Lions' miserable campaign in 2017. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians in the 2018 Player Auction for a whopping 5 crore.

He played fairly well that season scoring quick runs for the Mumbai Indians batting at no.3 ahead of Rohit Sharma and set the stage for their powerful middle order to come and finish off the innings.

He scored 275 runs in 11 innings averaging 28 with an incredible strike rate of 153. Though he got out playing rash shots on a few occasions, his aggressive approach helped the Mumbai Indians to post big totals.

#4 Nitish Rana( Kolkata Knight Riders)

Nitish Rana rose to fame after his brilliant batting for the Mumbai Indians in the 2017 edition of the IPL. He was brilliant in the first six matches and was the holder of the Orange Cap for a period of time post which he lost his form. He was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 Player Auction.

He scored 304 runs in IPL 2018 at an average of 25 which could've been better and a strike rate of 131. Nitish Rana batted for number 3 when he was with the Mumbai Indians but he was forced to bat at number 4 or number 6 in IPL 11.

He averaged 32 and scored 237 runs when he batted at number 4 and he should get more batting chances in that position. He was a handy option with the ball as well. He picked up 4 wickets last season at an average of 11 and economy of 7.03. His scalps include wickets of AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli in consecutive deliveries.

#5 Shubman Gill (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Shubman Gill was an integral part of the U-19 team which won the World Cup in 2018 and along with Prithvi Shaw, rose to fame mainly because of this. He was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 Player Auction and a lot was expected of him.

Gill didn't get many chances batting up front and played in the number 6 or number 7 position. He scored 203 runs in 11 innings at an average of 33.83 and a strike rate of 146.04.

He fared better in the number 4 and 6 positions where he scored 152 runs in just 4 innings averaging 50.66 at a strike rate of 149.01. If he was given more chances to bat up front, Shubman Gill would have surely made more of an impact.

#6 All-rounder- Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

Krunal Pandya was bought by the Mumbai Indians in 2016 and has been a regular feature in the Mumbai Indians side. He has been their go-to all-rounder apart from Hardik Pandya and is a good finisher and miserly bowler. He scored 228 runs averaging 25 with a strike rate of 147 which is good stats for a finisher.

He was a good bowler too and picked up 12 wickets averaging 21 with a great economy of 7.06. Though Mayank Markande was their best spinner for the first half of the season, his form dipped and it was Krunal who stabilized the team with important wickets and miserly spells of bowling.

His hard work and potential in IPL and First Class cricket was rewarded when he got his T20 cap on 4th November in the first T20I against West Indies. He had a very good debut and scored 19 off 9 balls. He bowled brilliantly as well picking up 1 wicket and conceding just 15 runs off his 4 overs.

#7 All Rounder - Krishnappa Gowtham

Krishnappa Gowtham was the 2nd highest paid uncapped player in the 2018 Player Auction after the Rajasthan Royals paid a whopping INR 6.2 Crore to acquire his services. He took some time to settle into his role but later justified his price tag with good performances.

He took 11 wickets averaging 25 with a good economy rate of 7.65. He was given the role of opening the bowling and did a good job with the new ball. He wasn't bad bowling the middle overs as well and was controlled and accurate with his bowling.

He was handy with the bat and finished off a couple of games. He had a tremendous strike rate of 196 and scored 126 runs in the tournament. He has a long road ahead to make the Indian team but he has proved that he is the man for the task.

#8 Bowler- Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings)

Deepak Chahar was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 Player Auction and the team showed immense faith in him and allowed him to open the bowling. Deepak repaid that favor with accurate and clever bowling and picked up early wickets and didn't concede many boundaries though he was bowling most of his overs in the power play.

He was able to swing the ball well and troubled openers of all teams. He missed a few games due to injury but came back with utmost confidence and was a vital cog in this unit. He picked up 10 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 25.40 with an economy rate of 7.28 which is exceptional for an opening bowler. He is also a handy batsman and proved it when he scored 36 runs against Kings XI Punjab and can be a powerful hitter in the death.

His brilliant IPL performance gave him an opportunity to play for the national side but he had a bad debut against England in a T20I. He conceded 43 runs in 4 overs picking up just 1 wicket and hasn't got an opportunity to play for Team India since.

#9 Spinner - Mayank Markande ( Mumbai Indians)

Mayank Markande was a valuable addition to the Mumbai Indians and was a steal for the Mumbai Indians when they bought him for just INR 20 Lakh. He made a stellar debut against CSK in the first match picking up 3 wickets conceding just 23 runs in 4 overs and answered the questions about Mumbai's spin bowling. He finished the season with 15 wickets with an economy rate of 8.26.

Mayank's stellar start to the season where he held the Purple Cap fizzled out towards the latter half as the batsmen started picking his googlies. He will look to correct his mistakes in the domestic matches and perform even better in the next season.

#10 Bowler- Siddharth Kaul ( Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Siddharth Kaul was one of the best bowlers of IPL 2018 and was a key part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad's march to the final. Kaul picked up 21 wickets with an average of 25, a strike rate of 18 and an excellent economy rate of 8.26 for someone who bowls many overs in the death.

The Sunrisers' bowling department was hailed as one of the best and despite Billy Stanlake's injury, he continued to bowl with the same accuracy.

He was their go-to death bowler as Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a bad season last year. He specialized in bowling the 'knuckle ball' and picked up many wickets in the death overs.

Brett Lee had high praise for him and hailed himself as the future of India's fast bowling. His great performances gave him many opportunities to play for Team India but he failed to perform well. He was wicketless in the 3 ODIs he played but had a better outing in the T20Is. He picked up 3 wickets in 2 matches at an economy rate of 6.5.

#11 Bowler- Ankit Rajpoot

Ankit Rajpoot was probably the best bowler for KXIP after Mujeeb and his inclusion in the side made an immediate impact but was not able to revive their disappointing campaign. He was exceptional with the new ball and swung the ball both ways. He wasn't part of the playing 11 for the first 6 matches but Barinder Sran's repeated failures gave him an opportunity to play.

He took 11 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 20.16 and an economy rate of 8.36 and a strike rate of 14.27 which is exceptional. Had he been introduced earlier, KXIP might have made the playoffs. He will look to continue from where he left off last season and play well for the Kings XI Punjab.

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