Now that IPL 2024 has ended, here’s a team of uncapped Indian cricketers that made waves during the tournament. This team of 12 includes an Impact Player, depending on the situation, and four pace options and three spinners.
M: 14 | Inns: 12 | Runs: 327 | Avg: 32.70 | SR: 159.51 | HS 64
The breakout uncapped Indian batsman of the IPL, Abhishek hit the most sixes (42) of the competition at the best strike-rate (204.21) while consistently – up until the playoffs – giving SRH blazing starts in the company of Travis Head. Abhishek’s six-hitting was a thing of beauty, and even though he failed post the league stage, his aggression upfront for SRH was massive in the franchise making the final. And, as he showed during the second Qualifier, his spin can prove vital on helpful tracks.
M: 14 | Inns: 12 | Runs: 327 | Avg: 32.70 | SR: 159.51 | HS 64
Unlikely to have been on anyone’s list of most impressive uncapped domestic players before the start of IPL 2024, the 21-year-old finished as Delhi Capitals’ fourth-highest run-getter and was a dependable factor for the franchise in a stumbling campaign. Initially batted at one-down, Porel was bumped up to open on three occasions once DC grew frustrated with Prithvi Shaw and David Warner and scored two fifties up top at a strike-rate of 165.62.
M: 13 | Inns: 11 | Runs: 303 | Avg: 33.66 | SR: 142.92 | HS 76*
The allrounder, named Emerging Player of IPL 2024, repaid the faith shown by the SRH management in retaining him, batting with plenty of intent all season even though the final numbers may not indicate it. Signed for his base price of Rs 20 lakh, Reddy topped 300 runs at a healthy strike-rate and also chipped in with a few big wickets. The highlight was his match-winning knock of 76* off 42 balls that helped revive SRH from 66/4 to 182, and saw Reddy club 22 runs in one over on the way to his maiden T20 fifty.
M: 16 | Inns: 14 | Runs: 573 | Avg: 52.09 | SR: 149.21| HS 84*
A breakout sixth IPL season – he had never previously crossed 183 in any edition – from Riyan Parag saw him finish as his team’s leading run-getter.
Previously used primarily in the lower middle order by RR, for this season the team management batted the 22-year-old at No 4 and the results were exemplary. This had plenty to do with Parag having a successful domestic season for Assam, in which he finished as the leading run-getter and highest six-hitter of the Deodhar Trophy, followed by a breakout Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he amassed 510 runs at a strike-rate of almost 183 and reeled off seven consecutive half-centuries.
Come the IPL, that form was visible as Parag shored up the responsibility of finishing off innings. His 33 sixes were another team high.
M: 14 | Inns: 14 | Runs: 354 | Avg: 44.25 | SR: 164.65 | HS 68*
The allrounder that Punjab Kings apparently didn’t want at the IPL player auction last December turned out to be their leading run-getter, and one of just two players to cross 300 for the season. Shashank, a journeyman cricketer at 32, repeatedly came to PBKS’ rescue with his confidence-coated brand of batting, be it when the innings needed momentum, or a chase was nosediving. His game awareness and ability to offset the plans of bowlers was noteworthy, and Shashank’s 21 sixes were also a franchise high.
M: 11 | Inns: 9 | Runs: 189 | Avg: 27 | SR: 167.25 | HS 61
The other half of Punjab’s eye-catching middle order pair, alongside Shashank, the Madhya Pradesh batsman who missed four years of cricket after being dropped by his state team made up for the time away with a breakout IPL. Having worked on his six-hitting skills, Ashutosh hit 15 in nine innings while underlining his credentials as one of the best finishers of the season. Don’t look at the number of runs, instead look at the strike-rate and impact that Ashutosh had for a floundering franchise in a very risky role.
M: 15 | Inns: 9 | Runs: 125 | Avg: 31.25 | SR: 201.61 | HS 35
Ramandeep clocks in at 72nd place on the list of most runs in IPL 2024, but for sheer impact in a very tough place to bat, and for his recurring role in helping his team KKR stack up wins, the 27-year-old stood out. Used in the lower middle order with a specific job of finishing innings behind bigger names, Ramandeep had a strike-rate of over 200 and hit 12 sixes. His highest score was 35, but it came off 17 balls in a match which KKR won by four runs. Then there were useful knocks of 24* off nine balls in a one-run win over RCB, 25* off six versus Lucknow Super Giants and 17* off eight versus Mumbai Indians. No uncapped Indian batsman had as good a strike-rate in the middle order. And he also won Catch of the Tournament for a spectacular running effort.
M 14 | Overs: 38 | Wkts: 7 | Econ: 7.97 | BB: 2/13
Inns: 7 | Runs: 75 | Avg: 37.50 | SR: 138.88 | HS 29
Criminally under-utilized by PBKS, and not played against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the team’s campaign, the spin-bowling allrounder was a solid presence whenever called upon. His left-arm spin only fetched seven wickets but look at that economy. And don’t underestimate his lower-order batting either.
M: 13 | Overs: 42.1 | Wkts: 19 | Avg: 20.15 | Econ: 9.08 | BB: 3/24
The joint fifth-highest wicket-taker of IPL 2024, with the third best strike-rate of all bowlers in the top ten list, as well as the most successful uncapped bowler. Harshit Rana was backed for the duration of IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign and he delivered on the faith shown to him. Be it the Powerplay or the back end of opposition innings, Rana was consistent with his speeds and smart changes of pace. Fittingly, Rana made an impact at opposite ends of KKR’s season: first, when he defended 112 runs off the last over of the team’s first match of the season, against SRH, and then in the final when he bowled a terrific delivery to bowl Heinrich Klaasen.
M: 13 | Overs: 48 | Wkts: 17 | Avg: 24.94 | Econ: 8.83 | BB: 4/27
An unheralded force in Chennai Super Kings’ run to the IPL trophy in 2023, this year Deshpande was more accurate and economical and showcased his development as a pace bowler. Time and again, he stood up for CSK whether it was in the Powerplay overs of at the death, cleverly changing his pace to flummox batsmen. Deshpande took 17 wickets this season, the most for CSK, and should be one of the players retained ahead of the mega auction in 2025.
M: 4 | Overs: 12.1 | Wkts: 7 | Avg: 12.14 | Econ: 6.98 | BB: 3/14
Yes, he only played four overs and bowled just 73 deliveries all season, but such was the impact that tearaway pace sensation Mayank Yadav had that it seemed like the cricketing world has sat up and taken notice.
All of 21, the pacer from Delhi made an immediate impact for LSG when he impressed with his speed, accuracy and hostility to take three wickets. Mayank backed that up with three in his second game, all while regularly clocking upwards of 155kph. Two Player-of-the-Match awards in two appearances put him in elite territory, and there was talk of drafting him into India’s T20 World Cup squad. But then Mayank picked up an injury during his third game, in which he bowled one over, and missed five matches. When he returned, he was unable to finish his spell and hobbled off the field, not to resume the IPL from thereon. But for his sheer impact in a brief period of time, Mayank was one of the pace highlights of IPL 2024.
M: 10 | Overs: 30 | Wkts: 11 | Avg: 25.09 | Econ: 9.20 | BB: 3/27
Only 11 wickets, but Vaibhav Arora left an impression beyond the final tally against his name. Of those 11, nine came inside the Powerplay overs which meant that Arora was the fourth most successful bowler in that period after Trent Boult, Mitchell Star and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He had a starring role to play in KKR’s league stage wins over Delhi Capitals, taking five wickets across two games, and then in the playoffs took out each of SRH’s ballistic openers. A superb asset to KKR, across the season.
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