IPL 2020: Six young Indian batsmen to watch out for

Each IPL edition gives a glimpse of young talent and provides them with an opportunity to put the pedal to the metal and showcase their skills to the biggest audience in the game. Here’s a list of young Indian batsmen to look forward to in IPL 2020.

Shubman Gill.

Shubman Gill (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Gill was named the player of the tournament at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup that India won. Last year, when he smashed an unbeaten 204 not out in a four-day game against the West Indies A, he became the youngest Indian to score a first-class double century for an Indian representative side at 19 years and 334 days, breaking Gautam Gambhir’s record (20 years 124 days). Gill also scored an unbeaten double century in his under-16 debut for Punjab in the Vijay Merchant Trophy and has won the best junior cricketer at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awards for two years in succession.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals)

Yashasvi Jaiswal.

 

Jaiswal became the youngest batsman to score a List A double century when he smashed 203 off 154 balls against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season. He first came into the spotlight during the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dhaka in October 2018, when he scored a 113-ball 85 in the final as India beat Sri Lanka by 144 runs. Jaiswal, who amassed 400 runs in six matches, was the leading run-scorer at this year’s Under-19 World Cup.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings)

Ruturaj Gaikwad.

 

Gaikwad has scored 1,349 runs in 21 first-class matches with the help of four centuries and six fifties. In 54 List A matches, he has 2,499 runs including six tons and 16 fifties. Gaikwad first made his name in the Vijay Hazare One-Day tournament in 2016-17, which he finished as the third-highest run-getter (444 runs from seven matches). Gaikwad is a natural strokeplayer who can both pierce the gaps and clear the field. Just 22, his performances for India A have been impressive.

Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Devdutt Padikkal.

 

Padikkal was in fine form in the 2019-20 domestic season, finishing as the highest run-scorer in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare 50-over tournament. The 20-year-old, one of two local lads in the RCB squad alongside Pawan Deshpande, was also Karnataka’s highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy. According to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Simon Katich, the elegant southpaw has done enough to merit an IPL debut.

Sarfaraz Khan (Kings XI Punjab)

Sarfaraz Khan.

 

The 22-year-old made a stirring comeback for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy 2019-20. A triple century, a double ton and 928 runs overall at an astounding average of 154.66 underline his aggressive intent. Sarfaraz started his IPL journey with Royal Challengers Bangalore before moving to Kings XI Punjab. A knee injury had kept him out of the entire IPL in 2017.

Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals)

Riyan Parag.

 

Parag, then just 17, became the youngest cricketer to score an IPL fifty against Delhi Capitals in the 2019 edition and was one of the finds of last season. His many variations make him quite a handful with the ball, too. In October 2017, he was named in India’s squad for the 2017 Under-19 Asia Cup. He made his first-class debut for Assam in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy against Hyderabad and has four fifties and a hundred to his credit. In the 2016-17 Cooch Behar Trophy, Parag scored 642 runs in 14 innings with the best score of an unbeaten 202.