The Indian Premier League (IPL), apart from being bankable, has been an excellent platform for uncapped players to fast-track their careers into the international arena. Like past editions, this year too, uncapped players have shimmered in the IPL, putting forward their case for a selection in Team India.
Youngsters have used this platform to the fullest and showcased their talent on the biggest stage. Even in this IPL 2023 season, two out of 12 hundreds scored in the tournament were slammed by two uncapped Indian players. The cash-rich league provided glimpses to the fans of some potential stars of Indian cricket who could make it big in future for the nation. They are yet to be capped at the senior international level but have had outstanding individual tournaments.
Here’s the list of eleven uncapped players who registered an impactful presence in this season of IPL:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals)
Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal slammed 625 runs with an average of 48.08 and an impressive strike rate of 163.61. It was a brilliant season for the left-handed batter who impressed everyone with his brand of batting and even won the Emerging Player award.
He played with self-assurance and flamboyance ness and overshadowed game superstars like Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. His breathtaking knock of 124 not out against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the league stage match will be remembered forever. It was the knock for the ages.
2. Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab Kings)
Prabhsimran Singh was one of the two uncapped Indian batters who smashed a century in the IPL match, along with Yashasvi. His century against Delhi Capitals (DC) . No other batter of Punjab could score even 20 at that dodgy Kotla pitch.
He played fourteen matches for the PBKS and amassed 358 runs with one fifty and one century, his highest score being 103 runs. He gave quick starts to PBKS, which was seen in his strike rate of 150.42.
3. Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans)
He was one of the rare Indian batsmen in the tournament who remained steady and unaffected by the bowlers’ pace. He can score all around the park, as he showed in the final of IPL 2023. Sai took advantage of the absence of Kane Williamson and made number three his place.
He played only eight matches for Gujarat Titans but scored 362 runs and made his presence count. But the most important innings of his life came in the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He scored 96 runs in just 47 balls, despite being the slow starter in that match.
4. Tilak Varma (Mumbai Indians)
Tilak Varma, based on his powerful performance in IPL 2023 for Mumbai Indians, has forced the spectators to take note of his talent. His reading of the situation and ability to take off from the word go gave solidity to MI middle-order.
Despite missing out on most of the second half of Mumbai’s campaign due to an injury, Tilak scored 343 runs in 11 matches for MI, with his 84 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) being one of the most memorable knocks of the tournament.
5. Jitesh Sharma (Punjab Kings)
Before this season of IPL, the Vidarbha cricketer Jitesh Sharma was called up for the home T20I series against Sri Lanka in January at the start of 2023, but he didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. His consistency and fearless batting have made former cricketers back his inclusion in the Indian team. Jitesh again proved impactful for the Punjab side this season with 309 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 156.06, hitting 22 fours and 21 sixes.
6. Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The finisher from KKR has lit up the tournament with his power-hitting ability to win the games for his team from the jaws of defeat. Rinku hit five sixes against the Titans bowler Yash Dayal when the target was completely out the reach with 28 needed off the last five balls provided him with the limelight required. He scored 474 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 149.52.
7. Harpreet Brar (Punjab Kings)
Harpreet Brar of Punjab Kings impressed with his ability to control the run flow even in the powerplay; he picked nine wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 8.02 with a best of 4/30. The Punjab Kings‘ all-rounder belongs to the category of left-arm orthodox spin bowling. The tall left-armer keeps it simple and relies more on line and length. The talented left hander can hit big shots and add a few runs for the team whenever required.
8. Tushar Deshpande (Chennai Super Kings)
Tushar Deshpande joined the Chennai Super Kings as a net bowler in 2021 before going bought by the same for INR 20 lakh. The medium-pace bowler ended the IPL 2023 season as the highest wicket-taker for his franchise. He stepped up for the team when the main pacer Deepak Chahar had to miss some matches due to an injury. Deshpande signed off the tournament with 21 wickets in 16 matches with a best of 3/45 in his quota of four overs against RCB on a flat Chinnaswamy track.
9. Akash Madhwal (Mumbai Indians)
Akash Madhwal was the star performer for Mumbai Indians (MI). He successfully carried the responsibility of MI bowling on his shoulders after the absence of star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
The best thing about Madhwal’s bowling is that he can bowl toe-crushing yorkers and hit the length hard on his will. He shined with the ball, especially in the death overs, and picked 14 wickets in 8 matches. His best 5/5 came against Lucknow Super Giants in a must-win Eliminator match.
10. Suyash Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Suyash, along with Rinku, was one of the shining stars for KKR in a difficult campaign this season. He claimed ten wickets in 11 matches with a best of 3/30 and impressed with his ability to keep batters quiet. He came into the team as an impact sub but became an important part of the side.
11. Yash Thakur (Lucknow Super Giants)
Yash Thakur has been nothing more than a sensation this year for Lucknow Super Giants. The right-arm-medium bowler grabbed 13 wickets in 9 games at an economy of 9.07, and in the absence of Mark Wood performed well and took crucial wickets whenever the team needed.
