The Indian squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy was picked on May 8. The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) selectors opted for the tried and tested names over some young talents, who are lighting up the ongoing IPL. The selectors, however, have kept a five-man reserve to cover any eventuality. Sportstar tracks the performances of these players in the ongoing IPL.
The 19-year-old Delhi batsman was impressive with his hard-hitting and wicketkeeping. The left-handed youngster amassed 366 runs at a monumental strike rate of 165.61 in the current IPL. Despite Delhi’s disappointing season, Pant was a revelation, handling bowlers with élan and confidence. He has proved his worth behind the stumps as well, managing seven catches and three stumpings.
The right-arm medium-pacer has picked up crucial wickets including the likes of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum in this IPL. In 10 matches for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), he has claimed eight wickets at an economy rate of 8.42.
Left arm-wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been a surprise element for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) this season. He has picked up 12 wickets from 12 matches so far at an economy rate of 8.29. His ability to bowl both the orthodox left-arm spin and the delivery that spins into the right-hand batsman gives him an edge over other new spinners, like Washington Sundar or Ankit Soni, in the IPL.
Gujarat Lions (GL) skipper Suresh Raina is known for his ability to destroy any bowling attack. The leading run scorer in IPL, Raina made 442 runs this season at a strike rate of 143.97. He has been the most consistent player for GL. Apart from being a run-machine, Raina is a livewire on the field and can bowl right-arm off spin.
The Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman was highly appreciated for stabilising GL’s lower order this IPL season. He scored 361 runs from 14 matches and chipped in whenever his team was in trouble. Apart from his batting prowess, Karthik was good behind the stumps.
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