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. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) 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. 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ruturaj Gaikwad is arguably one of the most underrated young batsmen in India and his name seems to go under the radar whenever there is a discussion about youngsters. He has scored plenty of runs for the India A team and even at the domestic level for Maharashtra. The opening batsman got a few opportunities initially but failed to make the most of them as could score just 5 runs in his first 2 games last season. However, he was brought into the playing XI after CSK’s hopes of qualifying had pretty much faded away. He didn’t fail to make a mark the second time around as he registered 3 consecutive half-centuries during the fag end of the tournament. Gaikwad scored 204 runs in 6 games at an average of 51 while scoring at 120.71. The right-handed batsman predominantly plays the role of an anchor, but he has the ability to go big when the need arises. The CSK batsman has a great opportunity ahead of him as he could be included in their playing XI from the very first game this season, and he will have the perfect platform to display his skills. 3. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Suryakumar Yadav is one of the best uncapped batsmen in the world at present, and it is quite surprising to think that he is yet to make his international debut. It was expected that he would be a part of the T20I team against Australia, but that wasn’t the case as the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey were preferred. He has scored more than 400 runs in each of the last 3 seasons and has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the league. Suryakumar scores his runs at a good strike rate and is arguably India’s Mr.360. Due to his wide range of strokes, he can bat at any position, which is a big advantage for the team. The 30-year-old scored 480 runs in 16 games last season and had a terrific strike rate of 145.01. He was the 7th highest run-scorer and his performances played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ dominance last season. The Mumbaikar’s long wait for an international appearance could end in the near future as he is expected to be picked for the T20I series against England. 4. Ishan Kishan Ishan Kishan and MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ishan Kishan was the captain of the U19 team in 2016 that included fellow keeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant, but his career hasn’t taken off as Pant’s has. Inconsistent performances over the last couple of seasons didn’t help his case, and it looked like talent was outweighing his performances on the field. However, he played to his full potential last season as he scored a staggering 516 runs in 14 games at an average of 57.33 and struck at 145.76. He was in the form of his life and hit the highest number of sixes in the league as he cleared the boundary ropes on 30 occasions. With Sanju Samson failing to deliver the goods for the Indian team, Ishan Kishan could potentially get a chance to make his debut in the near future. The left-handed batsman’s explosiveness is ideal for the national team at present, and he will compete with former U19 teammate, Rishabh Pant for a slot in the middle order. 5. Shahrukh Khan Shahrukh Khan. (Photo By Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Shahrukh Khan initially earned a bit of fame due to his name that resembles the famous Bollywood superstar, but in recent times he has been getting a lot of recognition due to his efforts on the field. Like many cricketers from Tamil Nadu, Shahrukh also burst onto the scene due to his performances in the TNPL. He has the ability to play the big shots and given that Indian finishers are a rare commodity, it was no surprise that he went for a large sum of Rs.5.25 crore. The Punjab Kings won the bidding war for him, and he is expected to be a starter for them during the initial games. He has scored 293 runs in 31 T20s at a strike rate of 131.39. His recent form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is what attracted teams as he scored 88 runs in 4 innings at a terrific strike rate of 220. He can also chip in with a few overs as a bowler and is one to watch out for during the 14th edition of the IPL. 6. Rahul Tewatia Rahul Tewatia. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Rahul Tewatia had a breakout season last year, and he proved his worth with both bat and ball. He was excellent lower down the order and scored 255 runs at a healthy strike rate of 139. He played several vital knocks and his 53 against Punjab won’t be forgotten any time soon. He even picked up 10 wickets in 14 games at a strike rate of 27.6 while conceding at just 7.08. Tewatia did a pretty good job as the supporting spinner as he kept things tight while picking up the odd wicket. He has scored 965 runs in 68 T20s at a strike rate of over 150 and also picked up 42 wickets at an economy rate of just 7.06. The RR leggie isn’t in the contention for the Indian team at present and will require another outstanding season to come into the mix. 7. Krishnappa Gowtham Krishnappa Gowtham. (Photo Source: Twitter) Krishnappa Gowtham being sold for a mouthwatering Rs. 9.25 crores was one of the biggest surprises of the IPL auction. He was expected to get a decent amount, but not many would have predicted such a huge amount. The lack of Indian off-spinners in the market might have been one of the reasons for such a price. Gowtham was simply outstanding in the 2018 season for Rajasthan Royals, but he has failed to deliver the goods over the last couple of seasons. He has scored 594 runs in 60 T20s at a strike rate of nearly 160 and has also picked up 41 wickets. He is a dangerous batsman down the order and can take the attack to the opposition at any stage of the game and is economical with the ball. It will be interesting to see how CSK fit him into their team given that they have a lot of all-rounders in their squad. 8. Ravi Bishnoi Ravi Bishnoi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ravi Bishnoi came onto the scene during last year’s U19 World Cup where he was the highest wicket-taker. He bowls with pretty good control and doesn’t concede a lot of runs. The leg-spinner was highly impressive last season and formed a good partnership with Murugan Ashwin. Bishnoi picked up 12 wickets in 14 games at a strike rate of 25.5 and conceded runs at just 7.37. The Rajasthan spinner performed really well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well and is doing no harm to his growing reputation in the game. He has played 27 T20s and picked up 29 wickets while conceding at a miserly 6.75. His strike rate of 20.6 is also quite good. Bishnoi is highly talented and if he continues the good work, he will soon find himself in the Indian team. 9. Arshdeep Singh Arshdeep Singh. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Arshdeep Singh was a part of the India U19 squad that lifted the title in 2018, but he didn’t get a whole lot of recognition due to the way fellow pacers like Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, and Ishan Porel played. Arshdeep got his big break during the 2019 IPL but didn’t quite make the most of it. He once again came into the playing XI for KXIP (now PBKS) in 2020 and he grabbed his opportunity with both hands. The Punjabi picked up 9 wickets in 8 games at a strike rate of 16.55 and had an economy rate of 8.77. The 22-year-old provided decent support for Mohammad Shami, especially during the death overs. He is currently still trying to establish himself as a key player for PBKS and Punjab, and thus, he still has a lot of work to do to earn an Indian callup. 10. Varun Chakravarthy Varun Chakravarthy. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) In another world, Varun Chakravarthy would have probably made his Indian debut during the T20I series against Australia, and it would have been T Natarajan included in this XI. But that isn’t the case, as Chakravarthy injured himself just before the series which opened the door for the SRH pacer to make his debut instead. He picked up 17 wickets in 13 games last season at a strike rate of 18.35 and conceded at just 6.84 per over. He was highly consistent and often bowled miserly spells as is evidenced by his economy rate. His 5/20 against the Delhi Capitals was simply breathtaking and it was that performance that quite possibly sealed his place in the Indian squad. The KKR player has a lot of variations up his sleeve and has built a reputation for himself as a mystery spinner. Given that he was there in the Indian squad recently, he is certainly on the radar of the Indian selectors and he will surely be given a chance in the future. 11. Riley Meredith Riley Meredith. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) Riley Meredith was hyped up as one of the fast bowlers to watch out for during the auction and the hype was justified as he ended up being one of the most expensive players. He was bought for a stunning Rs. 8 crores by the Punjab Kings and was the 2nd costliest uncapped player. He has picked up 43 wickets in 34 T20s at a strike rate of 17.5 and his economy rate of 8.06 is pretty good for someone who bowls during the tough overs. The Australian was in decent form during the Big Bash picking up 16 wickets in 13 games. He has been selected for the T20I series against New Zealand, and he could well be handed his international cap during that series. A bowling partnership with fellow Australian Jhye Richardson and Indian pacer Mohammed Shami for the Kings looks quite good on paper, and he is going to be a major threat for batsmen with his express pace.

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IPL 2021: Best uncapped XI ahead of the season

Players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya came into the reckoning thanks to the IPL.

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