IPL 2021: Best uncapped XI ahead of the season

The IPL auction that took place on the 18th of February was quite an exciting event as teams aimed to build competitive squads. 292 players went under the hammer, and 57 players bagged IPL contracts. There were several bidding wars and quite a few players ended up becoming millionaires.

Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped player in the history of IPL after he was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings for a stunning Rs. 9.25 crore. Australian pacer, Riley Meredith emerged as the costliest overseas uncapped player of all time as he was purchased by the Punjab Kings for Rs. 8 crores. Uncapped players were in demand as usual and others like Shahrukh Khan and Chetan Sakariya also attracted big bids.

IPL has provided youngsters and uncapped players with a platform to express themselves and we have seen several rookies establish themselves as global superstars. Players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya came into the reckoning thanks to the IPL.

Here, we shall have a look at the best uncapped XI of IPL 2021:

1. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal’s impressive performances during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2019 raised several eyebrows and he was hyped up as one of the youngsters to watch out for during the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in 2020.

The 20-year-old didn’t disappoint as he performed extremely well and even won the Emerging Player of the Year Award. He was RCB’s highest run-scorer ahead of stalwarts like AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli as he piled up 473 runs in 15 games at an average of 31.53. His tally of 473 runs was the most by an uncapped player in their debut seasons.

The Karnataka player has scored 1271 runs in 33 T20s at an average of 43.82 while striking at 145.92. He is one of the best young Indian talents going around at present and a good performance in the upcoming season could give him an outside chance of making it to India’s T20I squad as a backup opener.