10 young bowlers to watch out for in IPL 2015

The Indian Premier League has always been a treasure of talent and capacity. Discoveries made by the IPL are for the whole world to witness. Both the IPL and the CLT20 have proved to be great platforms for the youngsters over the years. The confidence and experience gained here has been useful for the players to improve their skills and make their mark in international cricket.Whether it is Yuzvendra Chahal or Kane Rishardson, the IPL has offered a supply of fresh and competent young players. Here, we take a look at some young bowling stars to watch out for in this year’s edition:

#1 Mitchell Starc (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Mitchell Starc was declared the Man of the Tournament of the ICC World Cup 2015, bagging 22 wickets with an economy rate of 3.50. He made a terrific debut last year, finishing the season with a total of 14 wickets, and he was an imperative part of the RCB squad appearing in all 14 matches that the team played.

The Aussie was brilliant in the World Cup and will be looking to continue his top notch performance in the IPL, hoping to improve his act in the T20 format. With a feast of pace and bounce to supply, the 25-year-old will add plenty of spice, excitement and thrill to the game.

#2 Trent Boult (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

There’s no denying that after such a dazzling performance in the World Cup, cricket fans all over are dying to see more of New Zealander Trent Boult. The left-arm fast bowler bagged 22 wickets with an economy rate of 4.41 Down Under, and was a menace to all opposition line-ups.

Boult’s consistency and performance compelled the Sunrisers to buy the 25-year-old for a staggering 3.8 crore ruppees, making him the costliest New Zealander. Boult is known to take vital wickets and will be extremely valuable for the Sunrisers if he continues his star performance in the T20 format.

#3 KC Cariappa (Kolkata Knight Riders)

20-year-old leg-spinner Konganda Charamanna Cariappa was bagged by defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering amount of Rs. 2.4 crore. The spinner hails from the Coorg district of Karnataka, and has been an impressive bowler for his state in the under-25 South Zone tournament for the PS Ram Mohan Rao Trophy.

Rated highly by Kallis, Cariappa has the opportunity to prove his worth in the big circle, competing against international players. With ace off-spinners like Sunil Narine and Sachithra Senanayake to guide him, the Karnataka boy is all set to repeat his performance from the Karnataka Premier League, where he took 11 wickets – including that of Manish Pandey’s.

#4 Veer Pratap Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Right-arm medium seam bowler Veer Pratap Singh is just 22 years old and has already made a mark with KKR. Retained by the defending champions, Pratap plays first class cricket for Bengal. He is known to generate good pace and length and is currently playing for his state in the East Zone leg of the Mushtaq Ali T20. He bagged 10 wickets in 9 matches for Hyderabad in IPL 2012.

#5 Siddharth Kaul (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Declared as the ‘Best Emerging Cricketer’ by the Punjab Cricket Association in 2013, Siddharth Kaul is a medium pace bowler who has a total of 97 wickets to his name in first-class cricket. The 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia being his first major international tournament, Kaul became a known figure and a vital part of the team, taking 10 wickets with an average of 15.40.

The Punjab pacer is known to be deadly with the new ball and has an impressive line and length. The 24-year-old plays for India A and will be looking for an opportunity to impress, hoping to bag a spot in the national team.

#6 Sean Abbott (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The world now knows 23-year-old Sean Abbott as the bowler who bowled Phillip Hughes his last ball ever. The New South Wales cricketer has made an impressive return to the game after going through all sorts of emotions following the incident.

The Aussie was also named Bradman Young Player of The Year and is known to be very consistent. He hopes to continue his good run and make a mark in the IPL, pairing up with fellow Aussie Mitchell Starc at RCB.

#7 Shreyas Gopal (Mumbai Indians)

Having played three ODIs for the Indian Under-19 Cricket team in 2011, Shreyas Gopal already has six wickets to his name in four matches. A versatile player, Gopal is an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls leg break. He was a key figure in Karnataka’s eighth Ranji win, taking four for 39 runs in six overs, and is known to perform well under immense pressure.

The 21-year-old boy from Bengaluru was purchased by the Mumbai Indians for a total of 10 lakh rupees. Playing alongside legends like Malinga and Harbhajan Singh will be a huge opportunity for the youngster to learn new tactics and polish his skills.

#8 Akshar Patel (Kings XI Punjab)

Having already made his mark in the IPL last season, Patel will be looking to take his game a notch higher in this year’s edition. Playing for India has given him an edge over other young bowlers and he can use this to his advantage.

Patel scored 369 runs in seven matches and picked 29 wickets for Gujarat during the Ranji Trophy in 2013-14. His slow left-arm orthodox bowling brought some much-needed variety in the Kings XI bowling last season and if his good form continues, Punjab stand a good chance of winning IPL8.

#9 Gurinder Sandhu (Delhi Daredevils)

An Australian cricketer of Indian descent, Sandhu is a fast bowler who plays for the New South Wales cricket team. He was a part of the Australia Under-19 cricket team in the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Sandhu is set to return to his motherland for IPL 8 where the Delhi Daredevils have obtained the 21-year-old for Rs. 1.7 crore. He is also a part of the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash league.

The Aussie is known to create good bounce and bowl accurate yorkers, which will be vital for the Daredevils. Sandhu will be pairing up with his idol Zaheer Khan in this year’s edition.

#10 Ishwar Pandey (Chennai Super Kings)

A big name in the domestic circle, Ishwar Pandey plays for Madhya Pradesh and was the leading wicket-taker of the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy. He has also played for India A. At 6’2”, Pandey generates good bounce even on some dead Indian surfaces.

The pacer was bought by Chennai for a bumper amount of Rs. 1.5 crore, which was 15 times more than his base price. The 25-year-old delivered figures of 4-0-23-2 in his first ever match for CSK, which the team won. He will have to force his way into the star-studded side this time though.