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Baroda all-rounder Atit Sheth could just be the addition that would give the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) the balance they need in their squad ahead of the IPL 2024 season. Seam-bowling all-rounders are a rarity in the country and it is rather surprising that Sheth hasn't bagged an IPL contract yet.
However, he continues to impress in domestic cricket and could have a big payday in the IPL 2024 auction. Given the fact that RCB need to build a bowling attack with INR 23.25 crore in the purse and also ensure they have batting depth, Atit Sheth becomes an ideal choice.
Here are five things about Atit Sheth that we need to know, especially if we haven't heard a lot about him before.
#5 Featured for India in 2014 U19 World Cup
The likes of Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan have emerged as renowned names who were a part of India's 2014 U19 World Cup squad. However, Atit Sheth was also in the squad. India couldn't defend their crown of 2012 as they were beaten in a thrilling quarterfinal by England.
#4 Hailed by Ambati Rayudu as future star
Atith Sheth had begun to make waves in domestic cricket consistently and that caught the eye of veteran former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu. When Rayudu was the captain of Baroda, he had tipped Sheth to become a future star.
Sheth had scored a fine 87 against Nagaland during a Vijay Hazare Trophy game and Rayudu was convinced that the all-rounder was destined for bigger things.
#3 Duleep Trophy heroics
Another example of Atit Sheth handling pressure came during the Duleep Trophy 2023 semifinal between West Zone and Central Zone. He first helped his team get out of deep trouble from 65/5 and scored a brilliant 74. He also picked up four wickets in the game as West Zone made it to the final.
#2 Fastest List A fifty
Atit Sheth held the record for the fastest List A fifty by an Indian when he smashed 51* off just 16 balls for Baroda against Chattisgarh during the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy. The seven mammoth sixes that the all-rounder hit showed that he had the power game as well.
#1 Atit Sheth's stellar 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Arguably the biggest reason why Sheth could be among the most sought-after uncapped players is because of the incredible Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023 he had with the ball. In nine matches, he picked up a staggering 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.55 and was joint-second in the leading wicket-takers list.
His wicket-taking ability and consistency, coupled with the ability to use the long handle makes him an underrated pick for any IPL team, more so for RCB.
