IPL is probably the biggest T20 tournament in the world and given the fact that all the top players in world cricket take part in IPL every year, nobody can raise any questions over the standard of the tournament. Performances in IPL should be the primary basis for the Indian cricketers to be selected in the Indian squad for the shortest format of the game, that is T20I cricket.
Every year, we have a few uncapped Indian players who catch everybody’s eyes with their performances in the IPL and start knocking on the door of the national T20 team. This season is no different either. Here are the 5 uncapped IPL stars who should make international debut –
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
It’s really a mystery how Suryakumar Yadav has not got a national call-up yet despite performing excellently in IPL year after year. He is someone who can actually solve India’s middle order problems as he is a wonderful player of spin and he is a wonderful finisher as well because of his 360 degree play. But, for some reason, the selectors just keep overlooking Suryakumar.
The Mumbai right-hander is in supreme form again this season and is playing match winning innings for his team. It’s high time now that the Indian selectors took Suryakumar into consideration for T20 international cricket.
#2 Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi had excelled in the U19 World Cup earlier this year, but some people had reservations if he would be able to perform with similar efficiency against the world class players in the IPL and the young man has been able to do that.
Bishnoi has been involved in some of the very high scoring games for Kings XI Punjab this season, but the way he has maintained his composure in those games and the kind of accuracy that he has shown, it seems he might already be ready for international cricket at the senior level.
#3 Prasidh Krishna
Prasidh Krishna has got the skill-set to play for India in all three formats of the game, not just T20I cricket. He has got a fair bit of pace and he is tall as well which allows him to get a bit of extra bounce from a length.
Prasidh has not got a lot of opportunities in the ongoing IPL season yet, but he has been the pick of the KKR bowlers in the last couple of seasons. The Karnataka speedster has not had a crack at international cricket yet, but it’s only a matter of time before he plays for India.
#4 Devdutt Padikkal
It’s only Devdutt Padikkal’s first season in the IPL, but he has been incredibly consistent for RCB. And, it’s not just the no. of runs that he has scored, but the way he has scored them, the level of class that he has shown against some of the best bowling attacks in the tournament, it has been jaw-dropping.
The fact that Padikkal is playing in the same team as the Indian captain Virat Kohli, it might help his cause as well as the Indian captain has the opportunity to watch him from close quarters.
#5 Ishan Kishan
Most of the young batsmen that have emerged in Indian domestic circuit in the last few years lack power game, but Ishan Kishan is someone who can give the ball a proper thwack. And he can do that not only against the spinners, but against the fast bowlers as well.
The left-hander showed his range of stroke-play in the game against RCB earlier in the season where he almost chased down the 200-run total set by RCB with a charismatic batting effort in the middle order. The Indian selectors might be tempted to have a look at Ishan at some stage in international cricket next season.
