The IPL, which ended on Sunday after almost two months, saw both young and experienced players participating in the T-20 format tournament alongside cricketers from abroad. Interestingly, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who won the final against the Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) had no players who are part of the 15-member India squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup 2024. (Rinku Singh and a few others are travelling as reserve players). So, is a good IPL season a ticket to Team India for talented young players?
Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Shashank Singh, Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana. “Nitish Reddy can hit the ball hard, and is a brilliant fielder too. He can bowl as well, and brings a lot to the table,” he says.
“Abhishek Sharma is an elegant left-hander who has the ability to score fast in the power play. He can really take on the bowlers. He is a very good fielder and can bowl a few left arm overs as well,” he adds.
According to Rajput, Shashank Singh is the find of this IPL. “He is a genuine finisher and can strike the medium pacers well. He has a variety of shots and the best part is, he takes the game till the end,” he says.
“Riyan Parag can hit both spin and fast balls well when he is in good form and Harshit Rana has good slow balls and mixes his deliveries smartly. He can generate good pace and is not afraid to bowl in any situation,” he adds.
However, Rajput emphasises that to get into the Indian team, even these exceptional players have to perform consistently and win games. “A few performances on and off won’t get you into the Indian team. Getting acknowledged is a big step forward for the players. But they have to constantly hammer the selectors’ heads with their performances,” says Rajput.
Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Ayushman Badoni and Mayank Yadav. “They are real future of Indian cricket. They are young, and if they play one more year of IPL and domestic cricket, they will get more experience and confidence enough to play in any situation. IPL gives a platform to talented young players to become the future of Indian cricket,” he says.
Meanwhile
Former India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri however, believes that the national team already has a good bench strength, and therefore it won’t be easy for all those who performed well in the IPL to find a place on it. “If one player is injured, there are no less than seven others ready to grab the spot. That’s why we have some reserve players on board,” he stresses.
