IPL 2021: 3 uncapped players who can win the Orange Cap

The Indian Premier League (IPL), over the years, has emerged as a great platform for youngsters to showcase their talent. Rubbing shoulders with the legends of the game gives them a taste of international cricket at a very early age. They use the platform to make a name for themselves and a strong case for national selection.

From Jasprit Bumrah to Hardik Pandya, we have witnessed some cricketers in the past use the IPL platform to make it to the national side. The upcoming IPL 2021, which will commence on April 9, is also expected to unearth some young talents who can make it big in the years to come.

On that note, let us take a look at 3 uncapped players who can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021:

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#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the young batting prodigy from Maharashtra, was the only shining star in what was a poor IPL 2020 for Chennai Super Kings.

Gaikwad's season wasn't quite smooth though. He contracted Covid-19 and when fit, failed to capitalize on the opportunity, managing only 10 runs from three outings. A poor performance from CSK youngsters compelled skipper MS Dhoni to claim they didn't have the 'spark' needed.

But the 24-year-old turned the tables, making the most of the second chance. Ruturaj Gaikwad struck three consecutive centuries - 65* against Royal Challengers Bangalore, 72 against Kolkata Knight Riders, and 65* against Punjab Kings (previously known as Kings XI Punjab) to become the first uncapped player to score three consecutive fifties in the IPL.

Gaikwad has been in decent touch in domestic tournaments and is expected to be one of the first names on CSK's starting XIs for IPL 2021. He is likely to open the innings alongside South Africa's Faf du Plessis and is one of the contenders to win the Orange Cap among uncapped players.

#2 Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana, the left-handed batsman from Delhi, has been one of the vital cogs in the Kolkata Knight Riders line-up for the last couple of years. He has scored 300+ runs in each of the last four IPL seasons, which sums up his consistency with the bat.

Kolkata will once again pin their hopes on this highly-rated batsman as they look to lift their third IPL trophy after 2012 and 2014. Moreover, Rana has been in superlative form in the ongoing Vijaya Hazare Trophy which will keep the Knight Riders excited.

The southpaw has smashed a century and two fifties in six matches to take Delhi into the quarterfinals of the competition. They will now face Uttar Pradesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on March 9 (Tuesday).

Landing in the IPL sphere on the back of some serious form, Nitish Rana will be one of the front-runners to win the Orange Cap among uncapped players.

Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 11 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

#3 Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal

Karnataka batsman Devdutt Padikkal is certainly one of the next big things in Indian cricket. He also represented the India U-19 side before making his Ranji Trophy debut.

The 20-year-old made his IPL debut last year, and set the platform on fire right from the word go. A clean hitter of the ball and with almost every shot in his armory, Padikkal set the record straight with a half-century in his maiden IPL game.

He finished the tournament with 473 runs from 15 matches at an average of 31.53 and earned praise from all quarters.

Since then, Devdutt Padikkal has not looked back. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the southpaw became the first Indian to score four consecutive List A centuries, sending a strong message to Indian selectors ahead of the ODI series against England. His scores in the domestic 50-overs competition so far read - 52, 97, 152, 126*, 145*, 111.

Padikkal is expected to take his superlative form into the IPL 2021 as Royal Challengers Bangalore look to end their trophy drought. With the form he is in, the southpaw is certainly one of the biggest candidates among the uncapped players to win the Orange Cap.