IPL 6: young players to watch out for

It’s that time of the year again when the mega cricket carnival will start in India. With a new title sponsor, the Pepsi IPL 2013 begins tomorrow with 9 teams eyeing for the coveted title. This article covers the Indian youngsters that can use this platform to carve out a name and present themselves to the world. The previous versions saw the likes of Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan and R Ashwin announcing themselves to the selectors. Let’s take a look at the players to watch out for in the 2013 Pepsi IPL.

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai is one balanced squad and has always been a threat in all the editions of the IPL. With 2 titles, 2 finals and also a Champions League title, they are a formidable pack. They are led by ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni and have an abundance of match winners in Raina, Hussey, Ashwin and Morkel, to name a few. But one youngster that might just add the necessary spice to the team is Baba Aparajith. The youngster was a part of the under-19 World Cup winning squad. He has yet to score big in the domestic circuit, with just one century to his name, but the lad has potential to go big. Also, he can tweak his off spinners to hold one end. It will be great to see how the youngster takes to pressure if given a chance.

Delhi Daredevils

Only one name stands out in this squad and that is Unmukt Chand. He has already made his IPL debut, and this season with the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Jesse Ryder missing out, he will be getting a lot of chances. He showed true character in the final of the under-19 World Cup and also earned respect from many for the way he led the team. He is definitely going to make a debut for India sooner or later, and the selectors will have a close look on his performance.

Kings XI Punjab

Being led by the vastly experienced Adam Gilchrist, the Kings XI are not the strongest team in the IPL, but can cause trouble to any team on their day. They also have the experience of ‘Mr. T20’ David Hussey and Azhar Mahmood when needed. But one player that the selectors would be interested in is the young medium pacer from Punjab, Sandeep Sharma. Sandeep has had a great domestic season with 47 wickets from 12 matches. What’s also important is that he has been economical and has troubled batsmen at will with some sharp seam movement. He, too, is a part of the under-19 World Cup winning squad, and with some wickets in the IPL, he will help his case for selection.

Kolkata Knight Riders

The defending champions have a vastly talented squad and have made some smart signings for this year too. The players that might stand out are Shami Ahmed and Iqbal Abdulla. Shami has just made his ODI debut against Pakistan. He bowled a great spell of 9-4-23-1 to take India to victory in a low scoring affair at the Kotla. His late swing can cause trouble to the batsmen and the white ball under the lights can do wonders for him. Iqbal Abdulla, the talented left arm orthodox spinner from Mumbai, has been a regular part of the KKR squad. He won the Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2011 for his heroics in the IPL. Also an athletic fielder, he is meagre with the ball too. If he puts in his best, KKR can benefit a lot as they will be missing the services of Shakid Al Hasan till mid May.

Mumbai Indians

Arguably the best team on paper and with the likes of Ponting and Maxwell, looks better than before. The team that won the Champions League but have never won the league have a talented pool of youngsters. Rayudu, Karthik and Rohit Sharma are proven entities and MI also has the likes of Pollard, Franklin, Malinga and D Smith who can steal the match from the opposition single-handedly. But one player that is yet to get many chances and has some real potential is Suryakumar Yadav. He is known to be a power hitter who likes to play his natural game (read it as ‘Hit and Hit Hard’) in any situation. He did it for Mumbai in the Ranji trophy in 2011-12 season. He missed out the last season due to injury and will be itching to get back to what he does best.

Pune Warriors India

A revamped team with a new captain has lots to prove since its last outing resulted in the worst ranking possible in the league. This team also has talented names in the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Steve Smith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhishek Nayar, Marlon Samuels and Manish Pandey, to name a few. But one player who has impressed everybody is the medium pace bowler from Madhya Pradesh, Ishwar Pandey. With 86 wickets to his name from 19 Ranji Trophy matches, he is already in the radar of the selectors. A decent outing in the IPL and he will be knocking hard on the door of the selectors.

Rajasthan Royals

The champions of the inaugural IPL are the dark horses of the tournament. They have players who have played for them in the previous editions and that’s an advantage for the Royals who are not known to be big spenders. One name doing the rounds for them is the talented batsman from Kerala – Sachin Baby. Though he has not yet proved his potential yet, but he has the talent in him. He can take the ‘right’ experience from his Kerala mate S Sreesanth, who too is a part of the Royals unit.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Bangalore team has retained majority of their squad and have a new captain in the Indian poster boy – Virat Kohli. They have the services of Gayle, Vettori, Murali and Dilshan who are match winners in themselves. But a young Indian that might be of interest for them is the talented batsman from Maharashtra, Vijay Zol. He was recently in the news when he smashed an unbeaten 451 against Assam in the Cooch Behar trophy. Immensely talented, he also proved his worth in the under-19 World Cup. A youngster who is definitely a look out for Team India in the future, can pack a punch if given the chance.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

With a new team name and new owners, the Sunrisers have retained the maximum of their squad. With the services of Sangakkara, Steyn and White available, they can trouble any team if they play to their potential. They have invested in the local talent pool available to them. One such talent is the 19 year old Hanuma Vihari. A top order right handed batsman, he had made his debut for Hyderabad in 2010 but has yet to play in the IPL yet. Also, a part of the recent under-19 World Cup winning team, he is immensely talented but needs grooming to shine on the best stage available.

The carnival begins tomorrow and by the end of the tournament, we can analyse who of the above mentioned proved their worth and who did not. If they do, they definitely will carve out a niche for themselves in the most wealthy cricket domestic tournament of the world. Here’s wishing them the best and really hoping that one of them takes the ‘Emerging Player Award’ for the tournament.

Gentlemen, let the fun begin.