IPL 2020: 3 uncapped Indian left-arm spinners to watch out for
The tournament opener of IPL 2020 will be a repeat of last year's final with defending champions Mumbai Indians locking horns with the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.
With the tournament starting in less than six weeks, the stakes are higher than ever before and the tournament promises to be even bigger.
Spinners, over the years, have played key roles in the success of a franchise. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Imran Tahir have played stellar roles for Chennai Super Kings while Harbhajan Singh and Krunal Pandya in recent times have been a vital cog in Mumbai Indians' line-up.
Incidentally, CSK and Mumbai have been the two most successful teams in the IPL, sharing seven titles among themselves. The upcoming competition will also not be any different. Along with the proven stars in the game, many youngsters will also ply their trade across the franchises, looking to make a mark and carve out a career for themselves.
They will look to impress and grab the eyeballs of the national selectors with an aim to play for the country.
As the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League comes closer with each passing day, we take a look at the three uncapped Indian left-arm spinners to watch out for.
#3 Shahbaz Ahmed
Shahbaz Ahmed recently grabbed the headlines with his gritty knock of 61 runs against Rajasthan, which gave Bengal an important win. Ahmed would want to contribute for RCB too with his accurate left-arm spin bowling, excellent fielding and ability to clear the ropes with massive hits.
A native of Haryana, the 25-year-old was tagged as an outsider in Bengal when he moved there in 2017. Two years down the line, Ahmed has become a vital cog in their line-up.
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In the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Shahbaz has been in spectacular form with both bat and ball helping them to book a quarterfinal berth. Ahmed also has been successful in T20s, scoring at a strike-rate of 128.45 and boasting an economy rate of less than 7. He recently picked 11 wickets against Punjab including a seven-wicket haul in a do-or-die clash.
Ahmed, who is looking forward to playing in the same team as Virat Kohli, thinks of this as a life-changing opportunity. The youngster wants to contribute to all the departments in his maiden IPL season.
“I’m really excited to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli. This is a lifetime opportunity for me. If I get an opportunity to play in the IPL, I would just like to replicate the same there — contribute with bat and ball. It would help a lot in my career,” Shahbaz told PTI.
With Pawan Negi’s struggling to step up to the occasion, Ahmed’s left-arm spin can be more than useful for the Bangalore side in the 2020 season.
#2 Anukul Roy
A young cricketer from Jharkhand, Anukul Roy's career has been hit with several injuries, but he has left a long-lasting impression in whatever opportunities that have come his way. Roy played a key role in helping the Prithvi Shaw-led India U-19 side lift the U-19 World Cup, finishing as the joint highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps.
Since then, he has gone on to become one of the key players in the Jharkhand side. He made his List A debut in February 2018 playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while his first-class debut came later that year. He finished with the highest number of wickets for Jharkhand in that season with 30 scalps from nine games.
Roy also has impressive records in T20s with an economy rate of under 7 with the ball. The young all-rounder has been with the Mumbai Indians for the last couple of seasons and has mostly warmed the benches in the presence of Krunal Pandya.
But with Krunal not in the best of forms in recent times, Anukul is likely to get a go at some stage in the tournament and will be one of the players to look out for considering his recent returns in the domestic circuit.
#1 Sai Kishore
The growth of franchise leagues in India has had a positive impact on cricket in the country and Sai Kishore is the brightest example of all. A player who is the product of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, the young left-arm spinner has impressed one and all with his accuracy and economical bowling.
Kishore had a dream run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tamil Nadu taking his side to the Super League stage on his shoulders. Twelve wickets in six games at an economy rate of 3.86 - the best among bowlers who have bowled at least 10 overs speaks volumes of his credibility. Moreover, most of his 24 overs have come in the powerplays with Dinesh Karthik showing trust in him ahead of Washington Sundar.
The 23-year-old has credited his stint with the Chennai Super Kings as a net bowler for opening his eyes. Kishore expressed that a chat with senior cricketer Harbhajan Singh gave him clarity and spurred him to improve his game-awareness.
The boy from Madipakkam will be desperate for an opportunity despite the presence of Ravindra Jadeja and is one of the young spinners to watch out for in the country.