IPL 2018: A look at the U-19 stars’ performances

They say the Indian Premier League (IPL) is for youngsters to showcase their talent and skills. And the eleventh edition of the tournament which got over on Sunday, May 27, with Chennai Super Kings winning the title for the record-equalling third time also got enough glimpse of that.

There were in fact, a number of under-19 players who displayed their special talents this season and made a strong promise about their rise as the game’s superstars in the near future. Some of them missed out while some made every opportunity count.

Here we take a look at some of the best U-19 performers in IPL 2018

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 16 years (Kings XI Punjab) [7/10]

Born in the 21st century, Mujeeb Ur Rahman made a magnificent mark in his IPL debut, taking 14 wickets from 11 matches at an average of 20.64. He finished as the Kings’ second best bowler after tournament topper Andre Tye (24 wickets). Rahman also got a man of the match award against Rajasthan Royals and his scalps also included Indian captain Virat Kohli. Rahman, also known as Mujeeb Zadran, is one of the top finds of this IPL and will be one of Afghanistan’s major hopes alongside the likes of Rashid Khan in the days to come.

Prithvi Shaw, 18 years (Delhi Daredevils) [7/10]

The captain of India’s U-19 World Cup team this year, Prithvi Shaw, found himself with Delhi Daredevils  (DD) for this year’s tournament for a price of Rs 1.2 crore. Shaw’s incredible batting performances in the domestic tournaments have already made his a big name and in the IPL, too, he gave glimpses of his flexibility in the shortest format as well.

Shaw scored 245 runs from nine matches this season and he hit two fifties with the highest being 65 scored against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His strike rate read 153.12 and averaged 27.22. Shaw finished as the third highest run-getter for DD after Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer.

Shubman Gill, 18 years (Kolkata Knight Riders) [6/10]

One of the top finds of the U-19 World Cup that India won in New Zealand earlier this year, Gill showed his class in the IPL this year for KKR. Though an opener for the national U-19 team, Gill batted down the order for KKR and his match-winning innings of 57 not out off 36 balls against eventual champions CSK in a league match spoke volumes about his potential as a batsman. He also showed his prowess in accelerating the score in the dying stages.

Gill scored 203 runs in 13 matches this IPL at an average of 33.83 and strike rate of 146.04. KKR would not rue buying Gill, who never had any prior experience in the T20 format, for Rs 1.8 crore for this season.

Shivam Mavi, 19 years (Kolkata Knight Riders) [5/10]

Shivam Mavi is another of the three Indian U-19 players KKR picked this year and though his inexperience got exposed at times, the speedster’s performance gave enough glimpses about his rise as a big hope for India in the days to come. Bought for Rs 3 crore, Mavi played in 9 matches and took five wickets at an average of 54; the economy rate of 9.64 and strike rate of 33.60.

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com.