IPL 2020: 5 exciting Indian players who could make their debuts

With the IPL 2020 set to be played in the UAE fromSeptember 19, the countdown for the tournament has well and truly begun.

Most of the franchises bought some exciting uncapped Indian players in the latest IPL auction in 2019. However, it remains to be seen if all these players make their debuts in this edition of the IPL and leave their mark in the competition.

In this article, we take a look at the top five exciting Indian players who are likely to feature in the IPL this season.

Top five Indian players set to debut in the IPL this season:

#5: Ravi Bishnoi (Kings XI Punjab)

Ravi Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker in the U-19 CWC .

Ravi Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded U19 World Cup and will feature for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020.

Bishnoi got 17 wickets in just six games in the U19 World Cup, including a 4-wicket haul in the final, which almost turned the game in India’s favour. He might get a playing opportunity for Punjab straightaway in the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin who was traded to Delhi Capitals earlier in the season.

Bishnoi is a modern-day leg-spinner who doesn’t give the ball a lot of air and bowls more of a flat trajectory. However, he puts a lot of revs on his stock delivery and gets it to turn despite not flighting the ball.

He has got a very subtle googly as well, which is extremely tough to pick out of his hand. The batsmen are reluctant to get onto the front foot against him as they are not sure about which way the ball could turn after pitching.

#4: Virat Singh (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Virat Singh was snapped up by SRH for INR 1.9 crore in the 2019 IPL auction

Prior to the latest IPL auction, Virat Singh was a much discussed name given his performances in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 335 runs at an astounding average of 83.75, which included a hundred and two fifties in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He extended his exceptional performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, where he scored 343 runs in ten matches including three fifties at an average of 57.16.

The left-handed sturdy batsman is a multi-dimensional player who could be an asset for any of the IPL teams. He put forward a strong case as an uncapped middle-order batsman who has the prowess to finish games on his own.

As a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL side, Virat Singh may get opportunities to team up with the experienced Manish Pandey in the middle order and don the finishing role.

#3: Ishan Porel (Kings XI Punjab)

Ishan Porel played an instrumental role in Bengal's successful Ranji Trophy campaign where they finished as the runner-ups.

21-year-old Ishan Porel has impressed in all three formats of the game at the domestic level over the last couple of years. Earlier this year, the pacer was instrumental in Bengal’s run to the final of the Ranji Trophy.

Porel was particularly impressive in the semifinal against Karnataka where his seven wickets helped make inroads in the opposition lineup. Bengal would end up winning the game comfortably by a mammoth 174 runs to set up a final date with Saurashtra.

Ishan Porel ended up with 23 wickets in just six matches as Bengal lost in the final to Saurashtra. His record at the domestic level has made various IPL franchises sit up and take notice.

One such team was Kings XI Punjab who snapped him up at his base price of Rs 20 lakh in the IPL auction held in late 2019. The opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell can only do wonders for the youngster, who can’t be too far away from debuting for the senior Indian cricket team.

#2: Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals)

Yashasvi Jaiswal

One of the brightest young Indian stars on the horizon, Yashasvi Jaiswal was snapped up by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals for Rs 2.4 crore.

Jaiswal, whose first name means success, is the youngest batsman to score a List A double century. He smashed 203 runs off 154 balls, while playing for Mumbai against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The record innings featured 17 fours and 12 sixes.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was also undoubtedly the best batsman in the U-19 World Cup played earlier this year. The left-handed batsman was the highest run-getter in the tournament where India made the final. He scored a majestic century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinals.

He also scored a gritty 88 in the final against the Bangladesh U-19 team, but unfortunately that innings went in vain as Bangladesh eventually chased down the target.

Having set great expectations for himself, Yashasvi Jaiswal will be hoping that Rajasthan Royals make him open alongside Jos Buttler in the IPL next month.

#1: Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Devdutt Padikkal was the star player for Karnataka in the latest Vijay Hazare and SMAT tournaments.

A local lad from Karnataka who will be hopeful of making his debut for RCB in the IPL next month, Devdutt Padikkal is coming off a dream domestic debut season.

Padikkal, who was the top scorer in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, was an absolute revelation. If that is not enough, his batting style is often compared to that of India's 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh.

Though RCB bought him ahead of last year's IPL, Padikkal hasn't gotten a game yet. That might change at IPL 2020, given his domestic performances.

Padikkal scored an unreal 609 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in just 11 games, scoring two centuries compiled at an average of 67.66. He followed that up by amassing 456 runs in ten innings with an average of 57 and a surreal strike rate of 171 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament .

Padikkal is flexible with his batting position as he has opened the innings as well as played at numbers three, four and five for Karnataka. With his flexibility and prowess, he will be a good weapon to have in any IPL captain's armoury. Given a chance in this edition of the IPL, Padikkal could take the league by storm.