3 uncapped performers in IPL 2023 who India's selectors must consider for the T20 squad
The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) started on March 31, and in the last four and a half weeks, quite a few players have impressed the fans with their excellent performances.
The BCCI launched the cash-rich league in 2008, with the aim of providing young talents a platform to compete with the best in the world. Over the last 15 years, many Indian players have utilized this platform and earned a place in the Indian T20I squad.
Some of the top names who made it to the international level after impressing in the IPL include Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Chetan Sakariya, Nitish Rana, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Markande, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravi Bishnoi, Shubman Gill, and several others.
The same trend has continued in IPL 2023 as well. Multiple uncapped players have knocked on the doors of the selectors with their magnificent performances.
Here's a list of three such uncapped players who India's selectors must consider for the T20I squad in the upcoming matches.
#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal - Rajasthan Royals
Yashasvi Jaiswal was retained by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Many fans were surprised when RR retained him for ₹4 crore because he had not been a consistent performer for the team in the previous two seasons.
However, RR's team management backed him and preferred him as an opener over a capped cricketer like Devdutt Padikkal. Jaiswal has not let the backroom staff down in IPL 2023. The left-handed batter is among the top run-getters in the tournament, having scored 428 runs in just nine innings.
After his 124-run knock against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Jaiswal is likely to be selected for the Indian T20I team.
#2 Tilak Varma - Mumbai Indians
Another left-handed batter to feature on the list is Tilak Varma. The Mumbai Indians star announced his arrival at the grand stage last season with his consistent performances for MI.
Varma has continued his top form for the team in IPL 2023 as well. Despite not having a fixed batting position in the MI lineup, Varma has scored 274 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 158.38. A versatile player like him could be a fantastic addition to India's T20I squad.
#3 Rinku Singh - Kolkata Knight Riders
India's T20I team desperately needs finishers. Selectors recently called up Jitesh Sharma to the squad and the next finisher to earn a place in the Indian T20I team could be KKR's Rinku Singh.
The uncapped batter has scored 270 runs in nine innings while batting in the middle order and striking at a rate of more than 150. He recently smacked five consecutive sixes to chase 29 runs from five deliveries against the Gujarat Titans.