IPL 2018: 5 Indian stars who may rule world cricket 5 years from now

How many of us remember the number of runs Virat Kohli scored in the inaugural edition of the IPL? Or how much was he paid for his services by RCB? Or even if he got the chance to bat in all of RCB's fixtures back in 2008?

Very few fans will remember how the then youngster struggled. At least Delhi Daredevils have a learned a valuable lesson after letting Kohli go in the inaugural IPL, as they have formed a solid core of talented youngsters who make us believe that Indian cricket is in safe hands.

IPL, borne out of the idea of providing budding Indian talent with an ideal platform to showcase their skill, has proven to be a fairytale experience for many such players.

Ravichandran Ashwin's ability to bowl in the Powerplay overs, Ravindra Jadeja's economical bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's accuracy at the death, Jasprit Bumrah's lethal yorker, Hardik Pandya's utility as an all-rounder... the list goes on.

There are numerous examples of Indians who shone at the IPL stage and went on to be rewarded with national caps that in turn helped them become international stars in cricket.

The Indian team has benefitted from the products of the league and the fact that there is healthy competition in the team for positions reflects how the T20 extravaganza has played a major role in developing young cricketers.

A successful IPL season has seldom gone unnoticed and consistent performances across seasons often attracts the eyes of the national selectors.

We look at the season gone by and identify five stars who can be superstars for the Indian national team.

Note: All stats have been updated till the end of the league stage of IPL 2018

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#5 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant ended the league stage of IPL 2018 as the Orange Cap holder

Rishabh Pant, the 20-year-old dashing Delhi batsman may have got the snub as far as the national squad for England is concerned, but if he continues to perform the way he has in this IPL, it will be difficult for the selectors to keep ignoring him.

In what can easily be termed as a watershed season for the southpaw, Pant amassed 684 runs this season, ending the league stage with the Orange Cap. He smashed bowlers all around the park while registering 37 sixes in the tournament, 4 more than second-placed Ambati Rayudu.

He bettered Robin Uthappa's 2014 tally of 660 runs to become the highest run aggregator as a wicketkeeper, in a single edition of IPL. Coming to bat in the middle order for DD, he scored his runs at a healthy average of 52.61 and at a brisk strike rate of 173.60, which was the best amongst seven batsmen who scored more than 500 runs this season.

His best efforts could not save Delhi from a bottom of the table finish as he hardly found support from the other mainstays of the Delhi batting unit, this fact best highlighted by his knock of 128* that came in a losing cause.

With age on his side, decent glove work behind the stumps, and a fearless attitude towards batting in limited overs cricket puts him in good stead for the coming years.

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni's probable exit post the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 creating a huge void in the Indian team for the wicketkeeper's role, Pant will fancy his chances of entering the national squad if he delivers consistent performances in the upcoming months.

#4 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer can soon cement his position in the national squad

When the Delhi team management made Shreyas Iyer the captain of the franchise after Gautam Gambhir stepped down post five defeats from six games, they could not have demanded an overnight change of fortunes for the side.

It was, as Gambhir said, not a measure of damage control, but an outside chance that he wanted to give the incoming skipper to script any fairytale for them to still make the playoffs.

Iyer, who could not help Delhi make the playoffs, nor save them from an embarrassing wooden spoon finish, did show a lot of promise both with the bat and as a leader as Delhi won four out of their remaining seven games.

The 23-year-old Mumbaikar, who was Emerging Player of the Year in IPL 2017, led from the front with 411 runs at an average of 37.36 and a strike rate of 12.58. His best of 93* against KKR came in his debut as DD captain and justified the trust shown in him.

A stylish stroke maker, the right-handed top-order batsman is a bright prospect as far as Indian cricket is concerned, something he has shown in the limited opportunities he has got at the international level.

If he can continue his rich vein of form with the bat, take any opportunities that come his way with both hands and also help Delhi climb the points table in the coming years, there is little doubt that he will be one of the mainstays of the Indian middle order in the years to come.

#3 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw's batting has drawn comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar

A product of the maidans of Mumbai, child prodigy Prithvi Shaw has already made more headlines at the age of 18 than Delhi Daredevils have made playoff appearances in a decade of the IPL.

After a marathon innings of 546 in the Harris Shield Trophy at the age of 14, Shaw went on to register centuries on debut in both Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, also becoming the youngest to do so overtaking the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

In fact, his footwork, height, style of batting and batting position have already started experts and cricket pundits to start recalling young Tendulkar at his age. Guiding India to victory in the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup, he was bought by Delhi Daredevils for the 2018 edition of IPL.

Given a chance at the top after Gambhir stepped down, Shaw impressed one and all with his expansive stroke play, taking the bowlers to the cleaners in the initial overs of the innings.

With 245 runs that came at a strike rate of 153.12 and included a couple of half centuries, the teenager has made a name for himself. And from how it seems, the road ahead can lead him to attain great heights in Indian cricket.

A few years from now, when India looks for filling the slots of the currently settled opening duo of Dhawan and Rohit, Shaw could well be the front-runner to carry the baton and their legacy forward.

#2 Shubman Gill

Shubhan Gill will look to follow in the footsteps of his idol Virat Kohli

"I don't know how many runs Shubman Gill will make or if KKR will win, but I know for sure that he isn't going to bat at No. 7 again." These words by cricket expert Harsha Bhogle are enough to fathom the kind of interest Shubhman Gill has garnered among cricketing circles.

The 18-year-old Punjab batsman had to settle for a No. 7 position in KKR's batting line up for the initial matches but his match-winning half-century at No. 4 against CSK ensured that he does not go unnoticed.

Coming into the tournament on the back of a successful U-19 World Cup campaign, Gill's shots exemplified the batting talent he possesses at such a tender age.

Another of Rahul Dravid's students, Gill has been a consistent performer in age group cricket and he will only go higher as far as cricketing heights are concerned. His tally of 145 runs at a strike rate of 142.15 are only a shade of what he brings to the table.

With an abundance of time, and great fitness levels, an important facet in the modern game that his idol Virat Kohli has adopted successfully, Gill has the potential of not just carrying forward the legacy of the present Indian team but to also create one of his own.

#1 Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has already made his presence felt at the international stage

Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar came into IPL 2018 after a successful previous season with Rising Pune Supergiant and a memorable TNPL performance.

He was acquired by RCB for ₹4 crores and was expected to provide them with an option to bowl the power play overs and an able finisher lower down the order.

In the seven matches he got to play before being replaced by Moeen Ali, he only picked 4 wickets that came at an economy rate of 9.60.

He did show sparks of brilliance in some of the quick runs he scored, or at times when he bowled good deliveries, but all of that came in short bursts to impress.

The 18-year-old, who won the Man of the Series award in the Nidahas Trophy, has been retained by the national selectors in the Indian team that is scheduled to tour England which shall prove as a major confidence booster for the youngster.

Someone who has received high acclaim from the likes of Rahul Dravid is quite unlikely to disappoint and Sundar has been a good student of 'The Wall'.

He is a talent to nurture going forward, and he might bring back the attention to finger spinners in an era of the wrist counterparts.