IPL 2021: 5 uncapped Indians to watch out for
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always provided a platform for youngsters to express themselves, and this season won't be any different.
Over the years, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have made the step up from domestic cricket to the international stage effortlessly thanks to the IPL. This year, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia earned call-ups to the Indian team after stellar IPL campaigns.
Here are 5 uncapped Indian players to keep an eye on in IPL 2021.
#5 - Shahrukh Khan - Punjab Kings
After being signed for INR 5.5 crores by the Punjab Kings in the 2021 IPL auction, Shahrukh Khan seemed to take his game to a higher level in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
With his ability to finish innings, power-hitting and fearlessness, Shahrukh is a unique cricketer. The burly right-hander has the skills to pulverize bowlers at will - a quality that has caused PBKS coach Anil Kumble to compare him to the Mumbai Indians' Kieron Pollard.
Shahrukh has a lot of competition for his place in the side, with Deepak Hooda, Sarfaraz Khan and Mandeep Singh among those vying for a middle-order role in the PBKS playing XI. But given the amount the franchise shelled out on him and his recent form, we could see him make a mark in his debut IPL campaign.
#4 Varun Chakravarthy - Kolkata Knight Riders
Fitness issues got in the way of Varun Chakravarthy's international debut not once but twice, and he's still uncapped going into IPL 2021. The mystery spinner refused to disclose an injury he played through during last year's IPL to the BCCI, and once he recovered from that, he failed a regulation fitness test ahead of the T20I series against England.
In the process, Chakravarthy lost out on the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in India's T20 World Cup squad. IPL 2021 presents the final opportunity for the Tamil Nadu man to announce himself as the solution to India's spin woes in white-ball cricket.
Chakravarthy finished last year's campaign as the Kolkata Knight Riders' leading wicket-taker, and he'll want to repeat the feat this season.