IPL 2016: The uncapped Indian XI
Uncapped players seemed to have hit the jackpot in the IPL auction this year. Most of the franchises seemed to be anxiously interested in young, uncapped Indian players, with an eye, perhaps, on developing their talent.There are two ways of looking at it. If the IPL can give a platform to young, budding talents to further their cause, then there's nothing like it. But eyebrows are bound to be raised when absurd sums of money are dished out for players virtually no one knows about.Will these young talents be able to use this opportunity to climb the rungs to stardom? Or will the burden of expectations be too much for them?Based on this year's auction, here is the INR 33.4-crore Indian uncapped players' XI. How many of them, do you think, would justify their huge price tags?
#1 Eklavya Dwivedi (INR 1 crore)
Not many have heard of Eklavya Dwivedi though he was part of the now disbanded Pune Warriors set up. He even represented them in 2012 but that he has faded from public consciousness suggests that he did not quite make a mark in the first place.
Dwivedi, who also dons the wicket-keeping gloves, has been in good form of late where he has turned into one of the batting mainstays for Uttar Pradesh at the first-class level. His 35-ball 49 in a close domestic T20 match against Delhi last month might have turned the stakes in his favour at the auction.
He had also played a crucial knock of a 53-ball 89 at the very beginning of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The Gujarat Lions snapped him up for Rs. 1 crore which is five times his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs.