5 KPL players who could make their debut in the IPL next year

The Karnataka Premier League 2017 came to a conclusion on 23 September with the Belagavi Panthers coming out on top against the Bijapur Bulls in a one-sided final in Hubli.

Over the years, the tournament has produced a host of superstars who have all gone on to make it big. Shivil Kaushik was one of the finds of the tournament back in 2015 went on to play for the Gujarat Lions in the 2016 edition of the IPL.

A lot of cricketers have used the KPL as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. The 2017 edition too saw a lot of cricketers who have exceeded expectations and had a lot of heads turning their way.

In this article, we take a look at 5 such cricketers who could make an IPL debut next year.

Abhishek Bhat

The only positive to come out of the Bengaluru Blasters' campaign was the 27 year old Abhishek Bhat.

In a team which consisted of players who performed poorly throughout the season, Bhat consistently performed well to give the side some hope. Unfortunately, his efforts went in vain as the Blasters failed to register a single win throughout the tournament.

Bhat, on the other hand, ended up as the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. If the Blasters qualified for the semifinals, he could have gone on to win the Purple cap as well.

Overall, he picked up 11 wickets in six matches at an average of 13.45 and an economy rate of 6.72. He plays for Saurashtra in the domestic circuit but has played only nine matches so far.

He could be the perfect fit for any side looking for an effective spinner for a cheap price.

Nidhish Mohanram

A lot of people were left questioning the tactics of the Bijapur Bulls owner after the auction as there looked to be a huge void in the middle order of the batting line-up.

However, 31 year old Nidhish Mohanram ensured there was no such void as he performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament. His batting heroics helped the Bulls reach the final of the tournament.

He played the role of the finisher on most occasions and was responsible for pulling off a highly unlikely victory against the Bellari Tuskers during the beginning of the tournament.

He ended up scoring 193 runs in 8 innings at an average of 27.57 and a strike rate of close to 120. He could fit extremely well in that IPL, given his aggressive nature with the bat.

Shoaib Manager

Having already established himself in the tournament with some exceptional performances in the previous editions, Shoaib Manager was one of the expensive buys of the season.

He looked confident right from the beginning of the tournament and was consistently good throughout. He provided a lot of stability in the middle order for Shivamogga and helped them reach the semifinals of the tournament.

Despite being 33, his ability to hit the ball a long way was not compromised and he could be a worthy addition in any one of the IPL sides next season.

He ended up with 199 runs in six matches at an average of 49.75 at a strike rate of 142.14 with one half-century to his name.

Abhishek Sakuja

In a side which boasted the bowling talent of R Vinay Kumar, it was the 28 year old Abhishek Sakuja who grabbed the headlines with his performances.

Right from the beginning of the tournament, Sakuja displayed his bowling process by picking up wickets at regular intervals and containing the run-rate of the opposition as well.

He was one of the men responsible for the Hubli Tigers reaching the semifinals of the tournament. With 14 wickets to his name in seven matches at an average of 9.50, he ended up as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

In addition, he also boasted a phenomenal economy rate of 5.32. He could surely be an integral part of any one of the sides in the IPL next year.

Stallin Hoover

He might have had a lot of heads turning due to his interesting name at the beginning of the tournament. However, by the end of it, it was his batting performances were the talk of the town.

He began the KPL batting in the middle order for the Belagavi Panthers but was promoted to the position of an opener after the injury to Kaunain Abbas. The promotion did wonders to him and the team as he provided the perfect start on a number of occasions.

An extremely aggressive batsman, Stallin decimated opposition bowlers and smashed them all around the park. It was his 81 run knock in the final which helped the Panthers lift the coveted trophy.

In the end, he fell short of the obtaining the Orange Cup by just 10 runs. He scored 255 runs in 7 innings at an average of 36.42 and a phenomenal strike-rate of 153.62 with three half-centuries to his name.