The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), 2021 will kickstart in a couple of months. Preceding the tournament a mini-auction for this season is scheduled to take place in Chennai on February 18. This is that eventful day when all the players listed in the auction wait with bated breath. The uncapped Indian players are the most anxious of the lot as they pin all their hopes on an IPL contract.
We at StumpsandBails bring to you 5 uncapped players whom we think will make it big in the IPL auctions
#5 Lukman Meriwala (Baroda)
We won’t be surprised if you haven’t heard this name before. This makes Lukman Meriwala an even more exciting prospect. He was the standout bowler for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. The left-arm fast bowler played eight matches during this competition and picked up 15 wickets. His bowling average during the tournament was a stunning 13.57. The fact that he is a left-arm seamer will prove to be his X-factor.
Meriwala is no one-season wonder, his overall numbers are far too impressive. He has played 44 matches so far and picked up 72 wickets at an average of 14.54. He has an excellent economy of 6.72 to go with a bowling strike rate of 12.9.
#4 Jalaj Saxena (Kerala)
Jalaj Saxena is a domestic veteran. In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he picked up 10 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 11.90. He once again sent a timely reminder of his bowling prowess. Saxena has always been on the fringes and could never really break into the Indian team nor did he get a chance to play for an IPL team. He is quite an experienced T20 bowler as has taken 59 wickets in as many matches, with an economy of 6.84.
#3 Kedar Devdhar (Baroda)
He led the Baroda side splendidly in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in absence of its star players. His temperament stood out while leading the team which suffered the exit of Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya moments before the tournament began. In the eight innings in which he played, he managed 349 runs at an average of 69.80. His runs came at a strike rate of 113 which isn’t great but he delivered for his team and led them to the finals.
#2 Avi Barot (Saurashtra)
Avi Barot is another unknown quantity in the Indian domestic circuit. He had a fabulous Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament where he amassed a total of 283 runs in 5 innings at a strike rate of 185. His overall domestic numbers are pretty impressive too. He has scored 717 runs in 20 innings at an average of 37.73 to go with his strike rate of 146.62
#1 Vishnu Solanki ( Baroda)
Vishnu Solanki became a popular name through the course of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, 2021. He played a blistering knock in the quarter-finals for Baroda when he smashed 16 runs off the last 3 balls. His finishing skills reminded everyone of MS Dhoni. He was the fifth-highest run-getter in the tournament. In the 8 innings which he played, he scored 267 runs at an average of 53.40. His strike rate was also impressive which stood at 128.37. He can be a useful addition for a team like Sunrisers Hyderabad who will love to have an Indian finisher in their ranks.
