IPL 2021: Best uncapped XI of the season

The 2021 edition of the IPL will go down as one of the better seasons for uncapped and unknown players. With the COVID pandemic haunting the tournament, many star players opted to skip the tournament. Adding on, there were many changes in the squads as well.

This resulted in the signing of many domestic players. Hence, the fans had a glimpse of what Indian domestic cricket has to offer. One thing that fans should not forget is IPL is for domestic players as well.

India’s domestic star players stood up to the occasion and put on impactful performances this season. With Harshal Patel picking up the purple cap, and Avesh Khan emerging as Delhi’s go-to bowler, the domestic speedsters showed their best capabilities.

Here is the best XI of the uncapped players in the IPL:

1. Venkatesh Iyer 

There is no doubt that the opening slot is occupied by Venkatesh Iyer. His domestic records were good enough to get him an IPL call-up. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, the rounder has made a name because of his hard-hitting batting and effective bowling.

Honestly, he is providing more stability than Hardik Pandya. This is mainly because of his bowling and consistency with the bat. Iyer has been playing domestic cricket with a strike rate of 133.50.

He made his IPL debut during the second leg of the tournament. In 9 matches, he has scored 320 runs with a healthy average of 40. Adding on, a decent strike rate of 125.0 and an economy rate of 8.53. This makes him a valuable asset to his team.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal 

Yashasvi Jaiswal had a poor outing during the 2020 season of the IPL. He was trying to smash the ball too hard. Adding on, inconsistencies in the opportunities added more pressure to the youngster.

But, this time, he had a great season as he scored 249 runs in 10 innings. Well, if someone smashes Josh Hazlewood for fun, that player has a special talent. And this youngster has proved time and time again in all the chances he got. A strike rate of 148.21 in 10 games is impressive in every aspect.

3. KS Bharat (wicket-keeper)

KS Bharat has been a well-known face in the domestic circuit. This is mainly because of his triple century against Goa during the 2014-2015 season. Adding on, he is a technically good wicket-keeper as well.

He was a substitute player for the Test team during the Pink ball Test match against Bangladesh as well. This year he was picked up by RCB, which proved to be a masterstroke.

Not only he filled the number three spot, but he turned out to be the match-winner as well. In 8 games, Bharat scored 191 runs at an average of 38.20. A strike rate of 122.43 is decent for a number three batsman. Even though he might not be retained by RCB, he will surely find a franchise in the upcoming 2022 auctions.

4. Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi is another veteran of domestic cricket who has not represented India. Rahul is a solid batsman who likes to play aggressively. This makes him an asset for any team he plays.

To be fair, this time KKR has managed to bring the best out of him. In 61 games, he has scored 1383 runs at a strike rate of 136.52. Adding on, he has the highest score of 93 as well, for the Rising Pune Supergiant.

This season, Rahul has played 16 matches and has scored 395 runs. The highest score of 74 showcases the changes KKR management has bought. This is because he has played high up the order.

5 . Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma is another rising star to feature in this list. He was a part of the U19 team as well. He is a batsman who can bowl his full quota of four overs as well. But, he was not effectively managed by the SRH management, which meant that it was a decent outing for the youngster at SRH.

The management gave him chances only when they had lost track. Even after that, he played 8 games and scored 98 runs with a strike rate of 130.66. In his IPL career, he has been playing with a strike rate of 139.30.

Talking about his bowling, he has picked 7 wickets in 22 matches. Well, a decent economy rate of 8 covers up for the lack of wickets. But, in this format, a dot ball is priceless as well. Hence, Sharma is a quality all-rounder waiting for a perfect franchise to give him ample amount of chances.

6. Rahul Tewatia

Rahul Tewatia will forever be known for his innings against PBKS last season. However, since that performance, his numbers have dipped down a bit. But, it is always safe to keep him in the playing XI. He can change the course of the game within few minutes.

In 14 games, Rahul has scored 155 runs with a mediocre strike rate of 105.44. This numbers are not that impressive, but given the fact that he bats low down the order makes it reasonable. Adding on, he has this six-hitting ability because of which he is a dangerous batsman.

Talking about his bowling, he has a career economy of 7.70. Even though this time, he had a tough tournament, he can pick wickets during the middle overs. Apart from that, he is a safe fielder, which means he is an all-around asset for his team.

7. Shahbaz Ahmed

Shahbaz Ahmed is a handy allrounder who can bat at any position and anchor the innings. He made his List A debut during the 2018-2019 season of the Vijay Hazare trophy. His abilities with the bat and ball enabled him to be included in the RCB squad in the 2020 auctions.

Last year, he got only 2 games to play. During the 2020 season, he picked 2 wickets at an economy rate of 7.33. This time, he played 11 games for the franchise and picked 7 wickets. His economy rate of 6.57 and an average of 13.14 speaks volumes about his ability.

He can bowl during those tense middle overs, and give away few runs. He is a decent batsman too and has a decent strike rate of 111.11 in the IPL. Hence, he makes it to this squad as a spin-bowling allrounder.

8. Harshal Patel 

Harshal Patel was the find of the tournament. He has been a part of the circuit since 2012, but this year has been the one in which he stamped his authority. He solved RCB’s bowling problems, which have always been haunting them.

Patel played 15 games for RCB and picked up 32 wickets. Bowling with an economy rate of 8.14, he took a five-wicket haul during the first match against MI. Later on, he was taken into the cleaners by Ravi Jadeja as he gave 37 runs from a single over.

However, this did not affect him much as he picked a hattrick against MI during the second leg of the tournament. This year, he has been the most valuable player for RCB. It will be interesting to see if they retain him during the auctions.

9. Avesh Khan

Avesh Khan was a part of the 2016 T20 World Cup that reached the final of the tournament. After that, he was bought by RCB, but he found his home in Delhi. This season, he stood up to the occasion and became a match-winner for his team.

Khan played 16 games for Delhi this season. He was an asset for his team as he picked 24 wickets in 16 games. A bowling average of 18.75 is decent for a bowler who bowls at the death. Adding on, he is a safe fielder as well.

This year, he was so impressive with the ball that the management asked him to stay back after the IPL. He was roped in as a net bowler for the national squad. If he continues to bowl with such effort, his national call-up is not far.

10. Arshdeep Singh

Fans should not be surprised if Arshdeep Singh becomes a regular member of the national squad. The left-arm quick has this natural ability to pick wickets during hard situations. Since 2019, he has been Punjab’s most consistent fast bowler.

Arshdeep played 12 games this season and picked 18 wickets. He bowled when every batsman was trying to slog him out of the park. And hence, this tally is special for him. There is no doubt that he is the future of Team India. It is a bit surprising that he is yet to represent India. But, that day is not far if he continues to perform consistently. Adding on, he is a safe fielder as well, which makes him a “captain-favorite” bowler.

11. Ravi Bishnoi

Arguably, Ravi Bishnoi is the only youngster who was not affected by the IPL price tag. He was bought by the PBKS during the 2020 auction for INR 2 crores and he has delivered every time he got the chance. However, it is the fault of the management that they did not give him enough chances this season.

Still, he went on to pick 12 wickets during the season. An economy rate of 6.34 speaks volumes about his talent with the ball. He has taken many prized wickets as well. A bowling average of 18.50 is quite impressive for a spinner. His tight lines and clever tactics make him a dangerous spinner. Apart from that, he has grabbed some spectacular catches as well in this season.