PBL 2020: Top 3 Indian youngsters to watch out for

The Premier Badminton League is the hunting ground for the rising crop of Indian talented shuttlers. Aside from being an entertaining league, the PBL also serves the purpose of providing a platform to the motley mix of young players who are eager to transit into the professional world and make it big there.

The benefit of a league like PBL is multiple. The budding players get the rare opportunity to team up and brush shoulders with the top players - both foreign and Indian shuttlers, which prove to be advantageous in the long run for the rising players.

The year 2019 has seen a lot of promise with players in their late teens and early 20's making a huge impact in the BWF circuit by delivering inspiring performances.

The future for Indian badminton looks bright with Lakshya Sen storming into the senior circuit and bagging five titles over the year, while Rituparna Das finished as the runners-up in two tournaments and North-East's rising star, Ashmita Chaliha played an equally impressive season, indicating their potential to create a difference in the fifth edition of the PBL.

The one-of-a-kind league which has been greatly responsible for promoting the popularity of badminton in the country and PBL serves as the perfect launching pad for young players eager to show their mettle on the big stage.

Sen has been the player to watch out for in 2019 with his breakthrough performances and is a definite weapon for the Chennai Superstarz. Double gold medalist at the South Asian Games, Ashmita Chaliha, is also expected to bring her shot-making skills to the forefront when she takes the court for her home team, the North Eastern Warriors.

The 23-year-old Das has been acquired by the Pune Aces and is also highly likely to win crucial matches for the team. The PBL looks fairly exciting owing to these rising stars who show incredible promise for the future of Indian badminton ahead.

#3 Lakshya Sen

There is much to marvel about the 18-year-old Lakshya Sen who has more or less, taken the badminton world by storm ever since his arrival. At a time when the top order of reliable Indian men's shuttlers is failing to restore faith, it is Lakshya who has been the saving grace.

The past season of 2019 has seen the youngster being the most improved and definitely, talented shuttler as he went on to win five BWF titles. Transitioning from the junior to the senior level, Sen smoothly conquered the courts at the Belgian International, the Dutch Open, the Scottish Open, the SaarLorlux Open and finally the Bangladesh Open, where he entered as the top seed.

So amazing was his run in 2019 that the youngster bagged a whopping purse of INR 36 lakhs at the auctions and was bought by the Chennai Superstarz. After veteran player Tommy Sugiarto, Sen is the highest-bid player in the Chennai team.

Given Sen's incredible 2019 season, it should be of no surprise if this little big man will pull off a few surprises for his team in the crucial moments. He is a powerful weapon for Chennai and when used wisely, can prove to be fatal to the other teams.

#2 Ashmita Chaliha

For the rising Northeast superstar, the PBL is going to prove crucial for the long run of the season. Riding on the success of her double gold win at the South Asian Games, Chaliha has her eyes set onto the future and aspires to break into the Top 50 hopefully. Bagged by her home team, the North Eastern Warriors, Ashmita was bid for INR 3 Lakhs. At 20 years of age, Ashmita's highlight moment of her career came with the gold medal victory at the South Asian Games.

Pestered by an injury, the majority of Chaliha's 2019 had gone in nursing it but the sprightly girl from Northeast managed to bounce back in time. Powered on by her skills and talent at the sport, Chaliha made the gold victory seem so natural to her.

Chaliha began to show signs of promise when she stirred us up to take notice of her wins at the Dubai International Challenge and the Tata Open International Challenge.

Set to debut at the PBL, the young shuttler is keen to explore her talent further and rub shoulders with the best in the game. With Michelle Li, Lee Yong Dae and Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk on her team, she will have a lot to learn and can use those skills to cause trouble in her matches for her opponents.

Folllow Sportskeeda to get the full PBL 2020 Schedule, PBL 2020 Results, PBL 2020 Points Table, news & updates.

#1 Rituparna Das

Scooped up by the Pune Aces for INR 8 Lakhs, the 23-year-old Rituparna Das has been creating quiet ripples through her matches. The year 2019 has been pretty decent to her as she began the season well and ended it on a similar note. 2019 has been quiet spectacular for the spirited shuttler.

At the Italian International, Das set up a date with former World No. 1 Spanish player, Carolina Marin. Although Marin had the last laugh, Das did put up a commendable fight. At the Dubai International also, Das finished as the runner-up. A former National Champion, Das shot into the limelight when she went ahead till the semi-finals at the Syed Modi International Badminton tournament. Das went down fighting to Thailand's Phittayaporn Chaiwan in 22-24, 15-21 in the semi-finals.

Das will be a key player for the Pune Aces given her recent form. Egged on by her sheer talent, Das can prove to create trouble on the court once her rhythm is set, after which there won't be any stopping her.

Edited by Alan John