Despite the presence of notable names in the auction, the spotlight is also on uncapped Indian players. These talents, tracked by franchises since the domestic season’s start, could emerge as future pillars…reports Niharika Raina
Come December 19, and the eyes of all cricket fans will be on the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai where 10 franchises will be under one roof to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction and finalise their squads for the upcoming season happening next year.
The IPL Auction roster features 333 players, out of which 214 are Indians and 119 are overseas players, including two from associate nations. The total number of capped players is 116, while uncapped players are 215. A maximum of 77 slots are now available with up to 30 being slotted for overseas players.
Though there are some big names in the fray at the auction, there will also be significant interest for the uncapped Indian players, who have been on the radar of the franchises ever since the domestic season began and could turn out to be the mainstays for the future.
IANS looks at some uncapped players who can secure deals with IPL franchises at the auction:
Abhimanyu Easwaran – base price of INR 20 lakh
The Bengal opener had a great time in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making 248 runs in seven innings, at a strike rate of 155 and averaging 35.42, including two fifties. Though a hand injury cut short his time at the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Easwaran made 272 runs in four innings, averaging 90.66 at a strike rate of 91.27, including a century and two fifties.
Not only does he excel with the bat, but Easwaran is also known to be a great fielder, adding versatility to his skill sets. His being an uncapped Indian opener, who is also dependable, especially in powerplay situations, will be keenly noted by IPL teams.
Arshin Kulkarni – base price of INR 20 lakh
The seam-bowling all-rounder, which is a rare skillset in the Indian cricketing circuit, is currently with the India U19 team preparing for next year’s World Cup in South Africa but has done enough in recent times to catch the eye of many teams. In the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL), Kulkarni made a blistering 117 off 54 deliveries for Eagle Nashik Titans and even took 4/21 in the same game.
That propelled him to make his T20 debut for Maharashtra in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking four wickets while batting with a strike rate of 163.51. In the U19 Asia Cup in the UAE, where India reached the semi-finals, Kulkarni had figures of 3/29 and made 70 not out while opening the batting to steer the team home against Afghanistan.
Harvik Desai – base price of INR 20 lakh
Hailing from Bhavnagar in Saurashtra, Gujarat, Desai is a talented wicketkeeper-batter who made a significant impact in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making 336 runs in seven innings at an average of 67.20 and a strike rate of 175.
He also hit a century and two fifties in the competition, ending as the sixth leading run-getter in the tournament. What sets Desai, who hit the winning runs for India in the 2018 Men’s U19 World Cup, apart is his versatility in both opening the batting and taking wicket-keeping duties, making him a valuable asset.
Manav Suthar – base price of INR 20 lakh
The latest addition to the pool of left-arm spinners in the country is Manav Suthar, who hails from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. He came to the forefront while being a member of India ‘A’ during the ACC Men’s Emerging Cup in July as finished among the top three leading wicket-takers, with ten scalps in five games.
Suthar’s exceptional skill and composed temperament, combined with his ability to contribute crucial runs in the lower order, make him a coveted choice. He also had been a net bowler for Gujarat Titans during their championship-winning run in IPL 2022 and is currently with India ‘A’ squad on a tour of South Africa.
Pradosh Ranjan Paul – base price of INR 20 lakh
Pradosh has been a consistent performer for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit, like scoring three centuries in the Ranji Trophy last season and his debut heroics in the first four-day game against South Africa ‘A’ for India ‘A’, where he smashed 163 on debut in Potchefstroom.
Pradosh, the left-handed batter, was in the India ‘A’ squad for the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka this year. He is known to have a knack for hitting boundaries consistently, thus rendering a significant impact and contributing with valuable runs for the team’s cause.
Sameer Rizvi – base price of INR 20 lakh
The young Uttar Pradesh batter has been making waves in the domestic circuit of late due to his batting exploits. In the UP T20 League, Rizvi scored 455 runs in nine innings in the tournament for Kanpur Superstars, including hitting two incredible centuries and the most sixes by any batter in the competition.
In this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Rizvi scored 277 runs in seven innings, averaging 69.25 at a strike rate of 139.89, including two fifties. He then went on to be the leading run-getter in the U23 List A competition, where he hit 84 runs from 50 balls in the final, as Uttar Pradesh emerged victorious.
T. Ravi Teja – base price of INR 20 lakh
A versatile all-rounder from Hyderabad, T. Ravi Teja made a mark as the leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023, taking 19 wickets in seven innings at an average of 10.10 and an economy rate of 7.11.
At the Dhaka Premier League earlier this year, he showed his batting chops by scoring 500 runs from 11 innings. The 29-year-old could be a good option for teams searching for a reliable pacer who can be a handy batter when needed.
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