In this, the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League, we've had some memorable moments, from the most outstanding of performances, to the most comical of debacles ( a la Delhi and Pune). We've had the same usual suspects firing on all cylinders. We've been thoroughly entertained by Gayle's blitzkrieg of 175 against Pune, of the Australian contingent's success in Michael Hussey, James Faulkner and Mitchell Johnson, and of the success of Indian superstars Kohli, MS Dhoni, Raina, and even the perennial Rahul Dravid.
However, something which had me drawn to my television set this year unlike other years is the emergence of young, talented Indian players whom have only experienced this level of professional cricket for the first time. It's been a revelation to see that these IPL franchises are prepared to expose these players not merely in one-off situations, but on a regular basis. I am pleased to see that these players have not only coped, but have thrived in challenging circumstances, making the IPL their own. Based on the topsy-turvy performances of this Indian side after their World Cup triumph, it's reassuring to see that India's future is looking quite bright. The following young players, amidst the hype and pressure of playing against the world's best, have really stood out this season.
1. Sanju Samson- Rajasthan Royals
(Wicket-keeper batsman)
Only 18 years of age and hailing from Kerala, Samson has exhibited a sort of intrépidité in his approach. He's been an invaluable asset with the bat, having consistently scored runs down the order, in a manner which has been a joy to watch. His confidence when facing seemingly-daunting, internationally-experienced bowling attacks has really made an impression, and his half-century against the RCB was arguably the most attractive innings inthis tournament. And that's just his batting. With the gloves, Samson's youthful exuberance has manifested into wonderful agility and a safe pair of hands. He has played a significant part in Rajasthan qualifying for the semi-finals and the 2013 Champions League T20, and his efforts have been rewarded with him claiming the Young Player of the Year for IPL 6. This is a talent who must be nurtured even more, but one who must continue with his fearless approach, one which will take him very far in his career.
A member of the World Cup winning U-19 Indian team, 19-year-old Hanuma Vihari, in his first ever IPL season with new franchise Sunrisers, has shown a great deal of temperament. While his numbers haven't made for outstanding reading, his scores in the 40s under pressure have been invaluable to this team qualifying to the semi-finals in their maiden season. He appears to have a cool, mature head on his shoulders, and considering his team's general shortcomings with the bat, his role has become even more significant. His innings as the tournament progressed may have been seen by some as liability knocks more often than not, but there is definitely a great deal of potential there with the bat. Even with the few times he's been handed the ball, he's done a decent job, even dismissing Gayle in his first ever over bowled in IPL cricket. He is one who can definitely be seen thriving in all three formats of the game.
3. Unmukt Chand- Delhi Daredevils
(Right-handed, Top-order Batsman)
Even in a disastrous season for his team, which has seen them finish
at the foot of the table, 19-year-old Chand, the batting stalwart for India's
U-19 success, showed a few glimpses of what he can do. Deemed as a huge talent, Chand, in a few games, was able to play shots with both flair and aggression, making some decent scores in the progress. Sure, he hasn't scored a fifty, but considering the general failure of his colleagues, a few low scores can be forgiven. He certainly has the capacity to make it far as a batsman, and this IPL would have provided a significant learning curve for young Chand.
Albeit older than the others on this list, 25-year-old Mohit Sharma has made leaps and bounds with the ball. A late bloomer, after a successful Ranji Trophy season, Mohit has integrated into the CSK team with ease. With his accurate bowling at decent pace and obtaining seam and swing movement, Mohit has landed at the top 8 in the wicket-takers' list, with 20 wickets at a parsimonious economy of under 6 and a half. He's been a key part in Chennai achieving yet another top-of-the-table finish, thus qualifying for the CLT20 and for the 2013 IPL finals, where he also put on a solid display in an otherwise disappointing defeat to the eventual champions, the Mumbai Indians. While it may be a bit too soon to be thinking of an India call-up, if Mohit can continue on this path, and can be nurtured by his coaches, there is no reason for him not to have a future representing his country in international cricket.
I'm going to sound like a bit of a broken record when I say this, but the BCCI and the specialist domestic coaches have got to nurture and coach these players in the right direction. To be fair, the batting has always been the strong point of Indian cricket, and India (ignoring the dismal post-World Cup performances in Australia and England) can boast one of the most formidable batting lineups in world cricket. However, it is really the bowling, in particular the fast bowling, which has always been suspect, and the specific example of Mohit Sharma is indicative of India having another chance at producing a potential fast-bowling star.
India has produced many talented, prospective stars who thrive early but decline sharply and fade away in the end. The only probable exceptions are, of course, Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath. We've seen the likes of Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Sreesanth and most recently, Ishant Sharma, all of whom were taking the world by storm with pace and sheer talent, but ended up not living up to their expectations. Mohit Sharma bowls at sufficient pace, with sheer accuracy and ability to obtain seam and swing movement. He is a pretty complete fast bowler. The fact that he was able to obtain a regular starting place in the CSK team is indicative of this. He impressed me most in this tournament, and I certainly hope he can eliminate the general stereotypical trend of an Indian quick: bowling with good pace and movement in the beginning, but ending up bowling buffet-balls at 120kph.
However, something which had me drawn to my television set this year unlike other years is the emergence of young, talented Indian players whom have only experienced this level of professional cricket for the first time. It's been a revelation to see that these IPL franchises are prepared to expose these players not merely in one-off situations, but on a regular basis. I am pleased to see that these players have not only coped, but have thrived in challenging circumstances, making the IPL their own. Based on the topsy-turvy performances of this Indian side after their World Cup triumph, it's reassuring to see that India's future is looking quite bright. The following young players, amidst the hype and pressure of playing against the world's best, have really stood out this season.
1. Sanju Samson- Rajasthan Royals
(Wicket-keeper batsman)Only 18 years of age and hailing from Kerala, Samson has exhibited a sort of intrépidité in his approach. He's been an invaluable asset with the bat, having consistently scored runs down the order, in a manner which has been a joy to watch. His confidence when facing seemingly-daunting, internationally-experienced bowling attacks has really made an impression, and his half-century against the RCB was arguably the most attractive innings inthis tournament. And that's just his batting. With the gloves, Samson's youthful exuberance has manifested into wonderful agility and a safe pair of hands. He has played a significant part in Rajasthan qualifying for the semi-finals and the 2013 Champions League T20, and his efforts have been rewarded with him claiming the Young Player of the Year for IPL 6. This is a talent who must be nurtured even more, but one who must continue with his fearless approach, one which will take him very far in his career.
2. Hanuma Vihari- Sunrisers Hyderabad
(Right-handed, middle-order Batsman, occasional off-break bowler)
(Right-handed, middle-order Batsman, occasional off-break bowler)
A member of the World Cup winning U-19 Indian team, 19-year-old Hanuma Vihari, in his first ever IPL season with new franchise Sunrisers, has shown a great deal of temperament. While his numbers haven't made for outstanding reading, his scores in the 40s under pressure have been invaluable to this team qualifying to the semi-finals in their maiden season. He appears to have a cool, mature head on his shoulders, and considering his team's general shortcomings with the bat, his role has become even more significant. His innings as the tournament progressed may have been seen by some as liability knocks more often than not, but there is definitely a great deal of potential there with the bat. Even with the few times he's been handed the ball, he's done a decent job, even dismissing Gayle in his first ever over bowled in IPL cricket. He is one who can definitely be seen thriving in all three formats of the game.3. Unmukt Chand- Delhi Daredevils
(Right-handed, Top-order Batsman)
Even in a disastrous season for his team, which has seen them finish at the foot of the table, 19-year-old Chand, the batting stalwart for India's
U-19 success, showed a few glimpses of what he can do. Deemed as a huge talent, Chand, in a few games, was able to play shots with both flair and aggression, making some decent scores in the progress. Sure, he hasn't scored a fifty, but considering the general failure of his colleagues, a few low scores can be forgiven. He certainly has the capacity to make it far as a batsman, and this IPL would have provided a significant learning curve for young Chand.
4. Mohit Sharma- Chennai Super Kings
(Right-arm fast-medium bowler)
Albeit older than the others on this list, 25-year-old Mohit Sharma has made leaps and bounds with the ball. A late bloomer, after a successful Ranji Trophy season, Mohit has integrated into the CSK team with ease. With his accurate bowling at decent pace and obtaining seam and swing movement, Mohit has landed at the top 8 in the wicket-takers' list, with 20 wickets at a parsimonious economy of under 6 and a half. He's been a key part in Chennai achieving yet another top-of-the-table finish, thus qualifying for the CLT20 and for the 2013 IPL finals, where he also put on a solid display in an otherwise disappointing defeat to the eventual champions, the Mumbai Indians. While it may be a bit too soon to be thinking of an India call-up, if Mohit can continue on this path, and can be nurtured by his coaches, there is no reason for him not to have a future representing his country in international cricket. I'm going to sound like a bit of a broken record when I say this, but the BCCI and the specialist domestic coaches have got to nurture and coach these players in the right direction. To be fair, the batting has always been the strong point of Indian cricket, and India (ignoring the dismal post-World Cup performances in Australia and England) can boast one of the most formidable batting lineups in world cricket. However, it is really the bowling, in particular the fast bowling, which has always been suspect, and the specific example of Mohit Sharma is indicative of India having another chance at producing a potential fast-bowling star.
India has produced many talented, prospective stars who thrive early but decline sharply and fade away in the end. The only probable exceptions are, of course, Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath. We've seen the likes of Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Sreesanth and most recently, Ishant Sharma, all of whom were taking the world by storm with pace and sheer talent, but ended up not living up to their expectations. Mohit Sharma bowls at sufficient pace, with sheer accuracy and ability to obtain seam and swing movement. He is a pretty complete fast bowler. The fact that he was able to obtain a regular starting place in the CSK team is indicative of this. He impressed me most in this tournament, and I certainly hope he can eliminate the general stereotypical trend of an Indian quick: bowling with good pace and movement in the beginning, but ending up bowling buffet-balls at 120kph.
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