The City of Joy -- Kolkata -- is all set to host the mega auction for the IPL 2020 on 19 December, after the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy concludes. Teams planning to add to their teams have their eyes set on top performers from the domestic T20 league in the hope they can become stars for their franchises.
Getting the right Indian players is one of the most challenging duties for IPL teams since they form a fundamental part of the squad. The league offers the ultimate opportunity for the young guns to catch the eye of scouts from various IPL teams looking forward to filling the vacant places in their respective teams.
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Here is a look at three young performers from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy who are expected be on the radar of several franchises on auction day.
#3 M Shahrukh Khan
Aged 24, the Tamil Nadu batsman has been a revelation in the Indian domestic circuit. Batting in a solid line-up which has clicked for Tamil Nadu, he has not got too many chances but has still been able to make a point.
At the 2019 TNPL, he opened the innings with substantial success, for Kovai Kings as he was amidst the highest six hitters in the tournament which cemented a permanent place for him in the Tamil Nadu line-up.
He averages over 35 in List A cricket which shows his potential as a batsman. Till now he has scored 85 runs in 6 innings in the competition which is a sedate version of him considering the limited chances down the order.
The ability that he shows and his talent to finish matches could attract bids for him from teams in desperate need of middle-order batsmen.
#2 G Periyaswamy
25-year-old Periyaswamy was one of the biggest hits in the TNPL this year grabbing eyeballs with his yorkers, cutters and a slingy bowling action like Sri Lankan great Malinga.
Periyaswamy has so far picked 8 wickets from 8 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an economy rate just above 7- which is miserly considering that he bowls mostly at the death overs. Veteran batsmen have fallen prey to his toe-crushing yorkers and cutters which havebeen a primary reason for Tamil Nadu's success in the trophy.
Periyaswamy has fought all odds to reach this place. Despite being partially blind in one eye he has been an excellent fielder. He has proved his mettle day in and day out choking batsmen from scoring runs and providing crucial breakthroughs to the team.
Many IPL sides will be scouting the bowler since in the past few years these type of bowlers, who can deliver yorkers or are mystery spinners like- Varun Chakravarthy and Basil Thampi, have attracted lavish bids from the franchises.
#1 R Sai Kishore
The 23-year-old from Tamil Nadu has collected 15 wickets in 7 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy so far at an economy rate of 3.86 - something very uncommon in T20 cricket.
The youngster also relished a successful TNPL season, picking 7 from 7 matches at a remarkable economy rate of only 5.82. He has bowled largely in the powerplay and has been notably successful at the top. The hard lengths and the variation of pace needed in the powerplay are something he has mastered over the years. His height also works to his advantage and his long fingers allow him to spin the ball nicely which results in more overspin on the ball and so far has helped in spinning trellises around top batsmen.
His immense potential surely provides an opportunity to the franchisees who are on the lookout for spinners to fill the empty slots in their teams.
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