IPL Auction 2020: 3 youngest players to bag a contract

On Thursday, the IPL 2020 Auctions concluded with a total amount of INR 140.3 Cr. getting divided amongst 62 players, who will take the field next season along with the players who had earlier been retained by the franchises before the auctions.

Pat Cummins was the highest earner of the day, as he took home a handsome contract worth INR 15.5 Cr. from Kolkata Knight Riders. The Aussie pacer was not the only overseas star to make headlines, as fellow countryman Glenn Maxwell (INR 10.75 Cr.) and South African all-rounder Chris Morris (INR 10 Cr.) also had a good time under the hammer.

Apart from the overseas biggies, a few domestic talents also did well at the auctions. Barring Piyush Chawla, who was witness to a surprising INR 6.75 Cr. bid from CSK, it was the young uncapped stars who interested most franchises.

Amongst these domestic players, the U19 cricketers dominated the proceedings, as teams invested heavily to hire a couple of teenagers to their respective squads. With the mega-auctions set to happen before IPL 2021, getting hold of these future superstars now could offer teams the opportunity to buy them back using RTM or even retaining them for their revamped teams in 2021.

On that note, in this article, we list down the Top 3 youngest buys at the recently concluded auctions.

#3 Abdul Samad (18 years 53 days) - Sunrisers Hyderabad

Abdul will turn up for SRH next season

For a significant part of the event, Sunrisers Hyderabad remained distant from the happenings in the auction room. However, as the names of the uncapped cricketers cropped up, SRH woke up to make a few quality signings to beef up their middle-order. Among the 7 players they purchased, Jammu & Kashmir's Abdul Samad evoked interest from many.

A talented middle-order batsman from J&K, at 18, Abdul could be a part of SRH's core in the future. Having made loads of runs in the junior levels of J&K cricket, Abdul's popularity rose after decent performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In one of the games, he took experienced bowlers like Piyush Chawla and Axar Patel to the cleaners with his big-hitting skills. Also, the player can contribute a few overs with his wily leg-breaks, all of which make him an exciting prospect.

In a middle-order that has often struggled, Abdul has good chances of getting picked in the playing XI and making an impact next season.

#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal (17 years 353 days) - Rajasthan Royals

As expected, Yashasvi triggered a bidding war at the auctions

Yashasvi Jaiswal is at the centre of one of the most inspiring cricketing stories of India. Rajasthan Royals will witness the skills of Yashasvi at the upcoming season, after having paid INR 2.4 Cr to secure the youngster's services at the auctions.

In fact, Yashasvi could not have asked for a better franchise to start his IPL career with. A team that is well known to groom its youngsters, RR will be one of the very few franchises which can afford game-time for the 17-year-old. After releasing the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi prior to the auctions, Yashasvi can easily slot into the opener's role in the playing XI.

Yashasvi's rise to the pinnacle started with his breathtaking double-century against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The teenager was spectacular in that tournament, as he scored 564 runs at an average of 112.80 for Mumbai. The left-hander then followed it up with a fine performance in the Deodhar Trophy too.

Yashasvi will now be one of the most important players for India in the upcoming U-19 World Cup. If he can do well in the competition, an India call-up might not be far away for the player.

#1 Akash Singh ( 17 years 234 days ) - Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals will use the services of Akash Singh to strengthen their domestic fast-bowling unit

Picked at his base price of INR 20L, Akash Singh will play for Rajasthan Royals next season. Akash was also the youngest buy at the auctions.

The talented left-arm seamer from Rajasthan will add variety to Rajasthan's pace-bowling unit, which already boasts of talented cricketers such as Jofra Archer and Andrew Tye.

However, before that, Singh will have a bigger assignment, as he will represent India at the U19 World Cup in South Africa. Known for his knack of picking wickets at regular intervals, Akash will be one of India's go-to bowler in the tournament.

A few years ago, Akash had registered figures of 10 for 0 in an open tournament held at Jaipur, which opened his selection to professional teams. The player was also part of the Indian U-19 team which played in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup recently.