This year’s IPL was a roller-coaster ride as we saw both big scores and wickets falling all over the place. It was the year for youngsters as we witnessed some mind-blowing achievements by the young brigade of Indian cricket. Senior players took a step aside, and the youngsters took the charge and won many matches for their respective teams. Almost every team had a youngster who played magnificently well and blew everyone’s mind with his performance in IPL 2021. Young Indian stars took the center stage as they showcased their potential to the world and grabbed their opportunity in IPL 2021. Let us look at some of the shining stars of Indian cricket from this year’s IPL.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
The man who won the emerging player of this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad, is certainly a bright prospect for the Indian Cricket team in the coming years. He also was the youngest player in IPL history to have won the Orange Cap for most runs in the season. Gaikwad’s IPL 2021 is his career-changing season as he showcased his talent and single-handedly won many matches for CSK this year. He, alongside his opening partner Faf was the sole reason for their batting excellence throughout the tournament. Gaikwad failed in the first year in CSK colors, but he showed his potential in the latter part of the tournament. He then revealed all his cards and batted beautifully throughout the tournament. He is a player with class and does possess qualities like the current Indian captain Virat Kohli. Gaikwad has a bright future, and one day he will be one of the prime batsmen of the Indian Cricket team.
Harshal Patel
The man with the golden arm, Harshal Patel, the leading wicket-taker with a mammoth 32 wickets to his name, was a true find in this tournament. He was the joint highest alongside Bravo for the most wickets in a single season. Harshal possessed a lot of potential and skills and was RCB’s prime death bowler. He had the power to pick up wickets in almost every match, and he turned games for RCB with his skills. Harshal also is handy with the bat in hand and can surely, be a great candidate for a fast-bowling all-rounder for India as a replacement for Hardik Pandya. Harshal is a smart bowler, and his bowling is very difficult to pick. He might not have won RCB its first title but, his skills will surely be handy in the future for the Indian Cricket Team in the limited-overs format.
Venkatesh Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders found a great player in Venkatesh Iyer during the second phase of the tournament. He was one of the main reasons which KKR reached the finals. Iyer was a sensation for KKR at the top of the order as he produced match-winning knocks at the top of the order. He provided KKR with blistering starts and was one of the pillars of this KKR batting unit in the second leg of the tournament. Iyer scored at an average of 41.11 and hit four half-centuries in just ten innings in the tournament. Iyer also can bowl quick, and he touches 140 clicks while bowling. He is a true talent. His hard-hitting ability with the bat and his ability to bowl quick with the ball in hand will be quite useful for the Indian Cricket team in the future. Iyer has a bright future if he is mentored properly by the stalwarts of the game, as he possesses great all-round skills.
Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan had a commendable IPL 2021, as he took 24 wickets and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Avesh Khan led the Delhi Capitals bowling attack in his year’s competition. Despite having the likes of Rabada and Nortje, the youngster Avesh was DC’s best pace bowler. He bowled in challenging situations, both in the powerplay and in death overs. He picked up wickets regularly and provided crucial breakthroughs for DC. In the future, Avesh Khan can be among the best pace bowlers in the limited-overs format as he has the ability to take wickets both in the powerplay and the death overs.
Arshdeep Singh
It was not the best of the tournaments for the Punjab Kings as they failed to qualify for the playoffs. But they had a great find in the like of the left-handed pacer, Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep picked up 18 wickets in the 12 matches he played for PBKS. He can bowl quick and also has a variety of deliveries. He has a lethal yorker and is a great death bowler. Along with Shami, Arshdeep was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS and is a great candidate as a frontline pacer for the future of the Indian Cricket team. Indian Cricket team has produced just a few quality left-arm pacers, and Arshdeep can become one of the prime pace bowlers for India in the coming years.
A bright future for the Indian cricket team
Other players such as Padikkal, Bishnoi, and Sakariya also showed their potential during this year’s IPL. The Indian Premier League is a great platform for youngsters to showcase their true talent, and IPL has managed to produce great Indian cricket stars. Their tagline of where talent meets opportunity is appropriate as it has produced talents like Chahal, SuryaKumar, Hardik Pandya, etc. In the coming future, these players will hopefully do a lot of good for the country and win the team a lot more matches, just like they have done for their respective teams in the IPL.