Best Uncapped playing XI in IPL 2020

Just like every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is getting ready to entertain its fans from September 19. From Paul Valthaty’s surprising century against the mighty CSK in 2011 to Nitish Rana’s heroics in 2019, the IPL has seen many uncapped players showcasing some dazzling performances over the last 12 seasons. It is very important for any franchise to have some uncapped players in their squad as they can be a surprise package who could astonish other teams with their stunning performances. A strong bench is often recommended for any team to go all the way to the podium. If these players are groomed well under the guidance of senior players, it can be a very good investment for the future seasons. Playing in the cash-rich league can be a life-changing prospect for many domestic players. IPL gives them a proper platform to perform and get noticed by the selectors. In this article we picked the best XI, featuring uncapped Indian players, who participated in the league previously and also going to be part of this year’s IPL. Here is the list of best XI uncapped players of IPL 2020: – 1. Rahul Tripathi (KKR) Rahul Tripathi . (Photo: IANS) The Ranchi-born right-handed batsman came into limelight after putting up a stunning show for Rising Pune Supergiant in the 10th edition of the IPL. Opening for the team, Tripathi used to clear the infield with ease smashing both spinners and pacers with his quick footwork and hand-eye coordination. In 14 matches he played for the Pune based franchise he scored 391 runs at a strike rate of 146.44 and played a crucial role in his team reaching the final. After his heroics for RPS in 2017 he was roped in by Rajasthan Royals for the next IPL. With the likes of Jos Buttler and Rahane at the top, Rahul barely got the opportunity to open the innings. Batting in the lower middle order, he managed to score just 367 runs in his 20 appearances for the franchise and was even dropped from the playing XI on many instances. Despite the fact that he looked out of touch in his previous two editions, Rahul’s credentials as an attacking opening batsman remain intact. In the 2020 auction Tripathi was bought by KKR for a price of INR 60 lakhs and is expected to open with Shubman Gill in this IPL. In his career in the league, Rahul has scored 758 runs at a strike rate of 137.31. 2. Ishan Kishan (WK) (MI) Ishan Kishan plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter) Although Ishan has had a below-par IPL career so far, his do-or-die attitude made a spot for him in this team. In 37 matches he played in his IPL career he managed to score just 695 runs at an average of 21.06 with a strike rate of 130. Despite all these numbers he is still the best uncapped wicket keeper in the tournament. Ishan came into attention when he played some excellent knocks down the order for Gujarat Lions in 2017. Due to his impressive performances he was roped in by Mumbai Indian in the next auction for a whopping amount of INR 5.5 crores. After a promising start to the 2018 season, his form plummeted in the middle of the tournament. He scored at a rate of close to 150 in that edition and his innings of 62 off 21 balls against KKR turned out to be of the best knocks of the tournament. In 2019 edition, he was placed in the playing XI ahead of Yuvraj Singh but was unable to make use of that opportunity scoring just 101 runs in 7 matches at a strike rate of just 101. It will be interesting to see what job MI have for this young lad this season as they likewise have Quinton de Kock in the squad, who again keeps wickets and opens the innings. 3. Suryakumar Yadav (MI) Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) The captain of the Mumbai domestic team for Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy is the best to lead this team. He was a fantastic find for Mumbai Indians as they can rely on him whenever the batting order needs to be modified. The innovative right-handed Mumbai batsman has been playing in the IPL since 2011 but has never been able to find a way to the national team. Surya was bought by Mumbai Indians in the 2018 player auction for INR 3.2 crore and was asked to open the batting for the team. He was very excited for the opportunity as he used to bat lower the order for his previous team KKR and proved his worth by scoring 512 runs at an average of 36.57 that season. Though he was facing the new ball for the first time, he looked really in a good shape and scored some quick runs at the top for the team. He played a notable role in Mumbai’s fourth IPL triumph. Having Rohit and De Kock at the top, Suryakumar is expected to bat at no. 3 this season. 4. Nitish Rana (KKR) Nitish Rana of Kolkata Knight Riders in action. (Photo by: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) There will be no questions raised for his inclusion in this team as he is one of the best finds of the IPL. The left-handed batsman from Delhi has been an important member of the KKR squad from the last two seasons. He often grabbed the headlines with his match-winning performances for the Knight Riders last year. In addition to his batting, Rana is an excellent off-spinner who has a golden arm and has contributed in breaking important partnerships, giving some much-needed breakthroughs to his team. He has an economy of 7.82 despite being a part-timer in the batsman-dominated format. In 41 innings he played in IPL, Rana scored 1085 runs with a strike of 134.62. He also has seven wickets to his name. Currently training with his team in UAE, he is expected to play a finisher’s role for the team, who are looking to add the 3rd trophy to their cabinet. 5. Sarfaraz Khan (KXIP) Kings XI Punjab’s Sarfaraz Khan (Photo Source: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) When Sarfaraz Khan played his maiden IPL match for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Chennai Super Kings back in 2015, he was the youngest to feature in an IPL game. He came into limelight when he scored 211 runs at an average of 70.33 playing for India in the 2014 u-19 Cricket World Cup. Seeing his astonishing performances for India u-19, he was roped in by RCB at the 2015 auction. He utilised his limited batting opportunities by scoring at higher rates. He maintained a strike rate of 156.33 in his maiden IPL season. While walking back to the pavilion after scoring an unbeaten knock of 45 off 21 balls, skipper Virat Kohli bowed in front of the 17-year-old and it remains as an unforgettable moment. Despite his cameos for the team, he was dropped from the playing XI due to fitness issues. Later he was released by the franchise and was roped in by KXIP in the 2019 auction. With the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Mandeep Singh and Mayank Agarwal in the middle order, it will be difficult for this young lad to make into the XI. 6. Riyan Parag (RR) Riyan Parag. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Having only seven IPL matches under his belt, the 18-year-old became the talk of the town when he scored an impressive 50 batting down the order becoming the youngest to score a 50 in IPL. The right-handed batsman from Assam is an integral part of Indian u-19 squad for 2018 u-19 World Cup. Rajasthan Royals are known to recognise talent early and rope in youngsters to encourage and make them superstars. Same happened with Sanju Samson, who is currently a contender for the wicker-keeper in the national side. RR bought Riyan at his base price of INR 20 lakhs and gave him a chance to showcase his skills in the best T20 league in the world. He also bowls a bit of leg-spin and is an ideal player to have at the lower middle-order with Ben stokes and Samson batting above him. Currently with the RR team in UAE, Parag is expected to play an important role for them this year. 7. Krishnappa Gowtham (KXIP) Krishnappa Gowtham. (Photo Source: Twitter) Probably the best uncapped all-rounder playing this IPL, Gowtham is a tricky off-spinner and a destructive lower-order batsman. Gowtham came into attention when he took 27 wickets playing in the 2017 Karnataka Premier League. Later he was bought by Mumbai Indians in the 2017 auction but he didn’t get a game that season. Known for their talent searching, RR bought him in 2018 auction for INR 6.2 crore where he made his debut in the IPL. There he scored some useful runs for the team playing at the lower order, striking the ball at a rate of 196.87 and played a vital role in his team reaching the playoffs. Due to his below par performances in 2019, Gowtham was traded by Rajasthan Royals and he will turn out for the Kings XI Punjab this year and is expected to play a crucial role in their fight to their maiden IPL championship. 8. Shreyas Gopal (RR) Shreyas Gopal. (Photo Source: Twitter) It will be a dream for any bowler to take the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, but Shreyas Gopal had both the batting legends as a part of his famous hat-trick in a rain affected five-over match in 2019. His 20 wickets in the last season were big positives for the team, which were unable to qualify for the playoffs last year. His consistent all-round performances in the domestic circuit made him earn an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians in 2014. However, he didn’t get enough chances and was picked by Rajasthan Royals in 2018. He got plenty of chances in the XI that season, and he grabbed that opportunity with both hands and became a regular member of the team. Being the best uncapped spinner playing in this IPL, in 25 matches he played for the Jaipur-based franchise, he picked 31 wickets at an economy of just 7.4. Currently with the team in UAE, Gopal is expected to play a crucial role in RR’s campaign this year. 9. Prasidh Krishna (KKR) Prasidh Krishna. (Photo by IANS) Prasidh Krishna came into limelight when he picked 10 wickets in seven games leading the domestic pace attack for KKR in 2018. Even team India’s captain Virat Kohli was impressed by his performance and spoke about him in a post-match presentation earlier this year. “Prasidh Krishna has done well in the domestic arena. It is a great luxury to have this group of bowlers in all formats. Looking at the World Cup, we have enough options,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation. Even Dinesh Kartik handed him the ball to bowl in a Super Over, showing enough faith. Krishna was one of the 10 best fast bowlers outside the national team who were mentored at India A by Rahul Dravid and Paras Mhambrey in 2018. With Mavi and Nagarakoti back in the squad, the pacer has to deliver more to be a part of the XI. 10. Ankit Rajpoot (RR) Ankit Rajpoot. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Rajpoot came into the attention when he started his IPL career picking Ricky Ponting as his first-ever wicket while playing for Chennai Super Kings back in 2013. He holds the record for the best figures by an uncapped player (5/14), playing for KXIP against SRH in 2018. Although he made his debut in 2013, he played his next game in 2016 when he was picked by KKR, where he played a handful of matches for the Bengal based franchise. His dream IPL has to be 2018 where he picked 11 wickets in 8 games playing for KXIP. He was retained by KXIP for the 2019 IPL but due to his ordinary performances he was traded to RR ahead of 2020 IPL. In 23 IPL matches he played he picked 22 wickets at an economy of 8.64. With the likes of Jofra Archer and Kartik Tyagi in their squad, Ankit have to do some hard work to get a place in the XI. 11. Basil Thampi (SRH) Basil Thampi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Basil made his IPL debut for Gujarat Lions in 2017 which turns out to be a memorable season for him as he won the Emerging Player of the Season award in that year. Seeing his ability to consistently bowl 140 kmph plus, GL bought him for a price of INR 85 lakhs, which turned out to be a golden purchase by the end of the tournament. Thampi finished the season with 11 wickets which made SRH to bid INR 95 lakhs for him ahead of the eleventh edition. He didn’t get enough chances to play for SRH as the best bowling unit in the league is already filled with some top fast bowlers. In 19 matches he played in IPL so far, Thampi managed to pick only 16 wickets at an economy of 9.69 which tells us that he didn’t perform well after his fine start in his maiden season. Currently with the SRH team in UAE, it’s a tough road ahead for Thampi to find a place in the XI ahead of Khaleel Ahmed and Siddarth Kaul. ~Written by Uday Gurugubelli

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Best Uncapped playing XI in IPL 2020

IPL gives them a proper platform to perform and get noticed by the selectors.

10. Ankit Rajpoot (RR)

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