IPL 9: 11 youngsters to watch out for in the grandest stage of Indian T20 cricket

After a month long hallucination of ICC World T20 2016, it’s time for some party in the Indian subcontinent as the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway on April 9, 2016. The tourney is widely reckoned to unearth some budding talents and polish the existing ones. It carries a reputation of producing new geniuses...

After a month long hallucination of ICC World T20 2016, it’s time for some party in the Indian subcontinent as the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway on April 9, 2016. The tourney is widely reckoned to unearth some budding talents and polish the existing ones. It carries a reputation of producing new geniuses every edition and this year is going to be no different. The world has witnessed the likes of Hardik Pandya, Pawan Negi and Jasprit Bumrah being spotted and recognised at the highest level and making it big. Suraj Choudhari jots down 11 such names can make an impact in the tournament.   IPL 9: 11 cricketers who will be dearly missed

1.  Rishabh Pant: India Under-19 vice-captain Rishabh Pant had a decent season in the U-19 World Cup where he amassed 267 runs at a scorching strike rate 104.29. What attracted attention was his scintillating knock of 78 runs against Nepal, which came in just 24 deliveries. He continued his good form in the next game Namibia, smashed a brilliant 111, and made his presence unavoidable. Delhi Daredevils got him on board for INR 1.90 crore.

2.  Shreyas Iyer: The Mumbai youngster is tipped to be the next big thing in Indian cricket and has stunned the cricket fraternity with his ability to score runs at brisk pace at the top. Iyer was the leading run scorer for a languishing Delhi Daredevils (DD) side in the last edition of the IPL. He enjoyed a fruitful run in the Ranji Trophy too where he scored at a 1321 runs in 18 innings at a staggering average of 92.70 and this is a golden opportunity for him to make his presence felt and sculpt a spot in the national side. He has been retained by the DD side and is surely the biggest youngster to watch out for. IPL 9: 13 ‘firsts’ in Indian Premier League this season

3.  Adam Zampa: They young wily Australian leg spinner bowled with immense guile in the recently wrapped up World T20 2016. Zampa’s actions highly resembles to legendary spinner Shane Warne. He has been roped in by Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) and will have big role to play for the team. It’s a crucial time for Zampa as a decent outing here can sculpt a regular spot in the Australian team for him and a great opportunity to learn.

4.  Barinder Sran: Sran has a big opportunity lying in front of him and if he manages to grab it with both the hands he will undoubtedly reap fruits for his hard work. He was impressive in his debut One-Day International (ODI) against Australia earlier this year where he chipped in with three wickets. Sunrisers Hyderabad further strengthened their pace artillery with the addition of Sran into their attack for INR 1.2 crores.

5.  Akshay Karnewar: The ambidextrous bowler hailing from Yavatmal district in Maharashtra has the rare ability to bowl spin with both the arms and seems to be a good find for a format such as T20. Bowling has been a major concern for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the past and to resolve the issues Karnewar has been crafted into the side for a modest price of INR 10 lakhs. He will be definitely waiting to prove his hunger for success if gets an opportunity.

6.  Krunal Pandya: The elder brother of Hardik Pandya has been drafted into the Mumbai Indians (MI) side for a whopping price of INR 2 crores. Like Hardik, Krunal too is an all rounder who plays for Baroda. MImust have noticed something significant to rope in such an expensive player and will be interesting too if he justifies his selection.  He is tagged as a specialist for the shortest format of the game.

7.  Murugan Ashwin: The leggie drew enormous attention when he was purchased for a mammoth INR 4.5 crores by Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS). The talented tweaker from Tamil Nadu has not played enough T20 matches but has 10 wickets to his name in six outings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was also the second-highest wicket taker for his state. He has been a consistent bowler in the nets session for Chennai Super Kings.

8.  Nathu Singh: A menacing right-arm pace bowler from Rajasthan who came for reckoning  impactful Ranji Trophy debut for Rajasthan against Delhi where he scalped seven wickets. He has come out of scratch and is eager to prove his worth. He has been brought in by Mumbai Indians for a massive price of INR 3.2 crores.

9.  Arman Jaffer: The 17 year-old prodigy has been a sensation in the Cooch Behar Trophy where he fired three double tons to attract the attention of buyers. He has been pulled in by Kings XI Punjab side for INR 10 lakhs and has the potential to take on good bowling attacks alike Sarfaraz Khan.

10.  Deepak Hooda: Hooda created a stir in the last edition of the IPL with his hard hitting abilities. He possesses the rare ability to hit bowlers for cleaner’s right from the outset. He is an off-spinner too. Hooda’s prowess was spotted by the Sunrisers Hyderabad as they procured him for an astonishing price of INR 4.2 crores. His knack of taking the attack to the opposition can prove crucial and stand out.

11.  Sarfaraz Khan: Sarfaraz was a captivating to watch in the previous edition of IPL and since then he has improved as a batsman. He scored on a consistent basis in the U-19 World Cup has been putting a strong fight to don the Indian jersey. His strength is his improvisation and placement, which can help him to garner some quick runs. He has been retained by RCB side and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the star studded side.