3 Rajasthan Royals young guns who can be India superstars in future
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have continued their dominance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from last season, where they were finalists, into the ongoing edition.
They currently sit on top of the points table with five wins in eight games. In their most recent outing, the Royals defeated four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 32 runs in Jaipur on Thursday, April 27.
The IPL has been a platform for many youngsters to showcase their skills and produce match-winning performances. The journey of some of these talented players culminated in them becoming superstars for Team India.
Most franchises have tried to promote and provide opportunities for youngsters, but the Royals have been at the forefront. Many current Indian stars like Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson either started their IPL careers or became renowned names thanks to their association with the Royals.
Despite winning silverware just once, in the inaugural season, the franchise has created a niche fan following. This is thanks to their focus on having youngsters play vital roles in the batting and bowling department.
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The Royals' squad for the ongoing season boasts of many talented youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Kuldip Yadav, and Kuldeep Sen, among others. Many of them have already played a vital role in helping the team win matches.
Let us now look at three RR youngsters who have the potential to be superstars at the international level for the Indian team in the future.
#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal
The 21-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal has set the IPL on fire this season with his sublime batting, especially in the powerplay overs for the Rajasthan Royals. His opening partnership with English star Jos Buttler has been instrumental in RR's impressive performances this season.
The talented left-hander has eclipsed the 300-run mark already, scoring 304 runs at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 147.57 this season so far. Jaiswal has been in tremendous form in the domestic arena for Mumbai also, with a first-class average of 80.21 and a List A average of 53.96.
The Indian team has a settled opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul as the third option. However, since Shikhar Dhawan, the Men in Blue have struggled with left-handed batting options at the top of the order. Jaiswal's evolution could lead him to be the perfect fit for Team India in all formats of the game at some stage in the future.
#2 Devdutt Padikkal
Left-hander Devdutt Padikkal is among the most technically correct in the next brigade of young Indian batters. Padikkal started his IPL career with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2020 as an opener before moving to the middle order for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2022.
Despite scoring heavy runs in each of the last three seasons, Padikkal's strike rate came under criticism as it hovered around 122 to 123.
However, the 22-year-old has made strides to improve his strike rate while maintaining consistency in run-scoring. He has upped the ante this season with a strike rate of 128.
The youngster has breached the 400-run mark twice in his young IPL career - in 2020 and 2021 - and boasts an overall average of 37.32 in all T20s.
Padikkal also boasts an incredible List A average of 77.27 and a serviceable average of 36 in first-class cricket for Karnataka.
With India searching for left-handed batting options at the top of the order and in the middle order, Padikkal will be one to watch out for in the future, considering his ability to bat at the top of the order and in the middle order.
#3 Dhruv Jurel
Right-hander Dhruv Jurel has been one of the surprises of the present IPL season with his attacking and versatile strokeplay in the latter stages of the innings. The 22-year-old wicket-keeper batsman boasts an impressive average of 48.91 for Uttar Pradesh in first-class cricket and an incredible T20 strike rate of 150.47.
Jurel has impressed experts and fans alike in the ongoing edition, scoring 130 runs in seven innings while batting in the lower middle order. He has scored at an average of 32.50 with a strike rate of 196.97.
With India in potential need of a wicket-keeper batsman lower down the order as a backup option to Rishabh Pant, Jurel could soon see his stock rise. Of course, he has to be consistent.