So far, in the 2023 IPL season, there have been bright young uncapped Indian performers who have brightened up the ten-team tournament with their glittering displays and have become pivotal figures in the playing eleven of their respective franchises.
IANS looks at the uncapped Indian players who have shot into the limelight this season, changing their fortune and will be on the radar of national selection in future:
Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals)
After hitting six centuries, including two double-hundreds, in the 2022/23 domestic season, the southpaw has been a mainstay for Rajasthan, amassing 575 runs from 13 matches at an average of 47.92 and strike-rate of 166.18, including four fifties and one century against his name.
Jaiswal also holds the record for the season's highest individual score of 124 against the Mumbai Indians which came at his home ground Wankhede Stadium, though Rajasthan ended up on the losing side.
He left people in awe by smashing 26 runs off the opening over of Kolkata captain Nitish Rana to get a 13-ball fifty, setting a new record for the fastest half-century in the history of the competition and be unbeaten on 98 off 47 balls.
With many players, including Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and former head coach Ravi Shastri calling him a future India player, it won't be a surprise if Jaiswal dons the national jersey in the near future whenever the international schedule resumes.
Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Rinku's effortless six-hitting ability injected frenzy in the early stages of the tournament when he single-handedly pulled off a heist against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. With 28 needed off the last five balls of the final over, Rinku smashed Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes to chase down 205.
With 407 runs in 13 innings at an average of 50.88 and a strike-rate of 143.3, Rinku is also Kolkata's leading run-getter and recently hit a four off the last ball to get Kolkata a nervy win over Punjab Kings, as well as lead the successful chase of 145 against Chennai Super Kings by outsmarting their spinners on their home turf.
Now with IPL 2023 propelling him to stardom through his hitting skills against pace and spin, Rinku is justifying the faith in his skills showed by Kolkata and could be a good middle-order option for the Indian team.
Jitesh Sharma (Punjab Kings)
In IPL 2023, Jitesh has turned out to be a reliable finisher for Punjab, amassing 265 runs in 13 innings at an average of 22.08 and a strike-rate of 155.88. With his ability to play attacking strokeplay against pacers and spinners, Jitesh, also Punjab's wicketkeeper in the season, is showing he can deliver under pressure to finish games well and take the side to big scores.
After having a wonderful time with Punjab in IPL 2022, Jitesh had been a part of the India T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year, but did not get to make an international debut. But with good performances in IPL 2023 as a finisher, like the 7-ball 25 and 49 not out against Mumbai, the debut India cap may come soon for Jitesh.
Suyash Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Unearthed literally out of nowhere, Suyash has joined Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine to form a formidable spin trio for Kolkata in IPL 2023. In his first game, Suyash picked up three wickets and led Kolkata to an emphatic 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens.
With his stunning googlies outwitting the batters, Suyash has taken 10 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 30.90 and economy rate of 8.13. Surprisingly, Suyash is yet to feature in either a first-class match, a List A match, or a T20 match for his state side Delhi, though he did play in two U25 games.
Incidentally, it was in those U25 games for Delhi where he caught the eye of Kolkata scouts and as they say, the rest is history as Suyash has now managed to impress everyone with his leg-spin bowling.
Tilak Varma (Mumbai Indians)
After being a bright spot for Mumbai in IPL 2022, Tilak has continued to shine for the side though he didn't play the last few games due to a slight hamstring injury. So far, Varma, the Hyderabad-based left-handed batter, has scored 274 runs in nine innings of IPL 2023, averaging 45.67 and at a strike-rate of 158.38.
His unbeaten 84 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai's season opener was a sparkling effort in stroke-play, apart from impactful cameos in matches against Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, where he finished off the chase in style, as well as against Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Dhruv Jurel (Rajasthan Royals)
After not playing in Rajasthan's IPL 2022 campaign and IPL 2023 opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhruv got a chance to play for the inaugural winners of the tournament and hasn't looked back since playing a blinder of a 15-ball 32 against Punjab Kings.
The youngster, who plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, has adapted to the finisher's role brilliantly for Rajasthan, amassing 142 runs in 12 innings, averaging 20.29 and at a strike-rate of 183.11, including a stunning 15-ball 34 against Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur.
(IANS)
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