 "Top five uncapped Indian performers in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024")
When everyone thought that the match was over during the Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Maharaja Yadvinder Singh Stadium in Mullanpur, Mohali, two young and uncapped Indian strikers refused to believe it. Railways' Ashutosh Sharma and Chhattisgarh's Shashank Singh, batting for the Punjab side, added 66 off just 27 balls and fell short by just two runs, even after hitting three sixes in the last over.
But these are not the only two uncapped Indians who have raised the bar in the ongoing mega show called the IPL. Mayank Yadav with his speed, Yash Thakur with his accuracy, and Riyan Parag with his consistency have added more flavour of domestic cricket to the league. Here are the top five uncapped Indian performers.
Shashank Singh
From toiling hard in the maidans of Mumbai to moving base to Chhattisgarh after not getting ample opportunities to play in the Mumbai side, Shashank Singh finally had his moment in the sun when he pulled off a miracle for the Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad. Chasing 200 to win, Punjab were 70/4 when Shashank joined Sikandar Raza in the middle. He smashed 61 off 29 balls to take the team home from that situation.
However, this was not the only inning of importance as Shashank even smashed unbeaten and quickfire knocks of 46 and 21 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He has a strike rate of 195 and an average of 137.
Shashank Singh IPL stats
Shashank Singh IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | NO | RUNS | HS | AVG | BF | SR | 50 | 4S | 6S | CT | ST |
| Career | 15 | 5 | 206 | 61* | 41.2 | 117 | 176.07 | 1 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 137 | 61* | 137 | 70 | 195.71 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | 69 | 25* | 17.25 | 47 | 146.81 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
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Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag has repaid the faith of his franchise that they kept in him for so long finally. The Assam player has smashed two half-centuries and is in the list of the top-five run-getters with an average of 92 and a strike rate of 158 after his first four games. But more than the runs, it is the situations in which those runs have been scored that have made Parag one of the most trusted batters in the Rajasthan Royals' batting line-up.
Riyan Parag IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | NO | RUNS | HS | AVG | BF | SR | 50 | 4S | 6S | CT |
| Career | 62 | 11 | 970 | 84* | 23.66 | 718 | 135.1 | 6 | 72 | 51 | 30 |
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 185 | 84* | 92.5 | 117 | 158.12 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 185 | 84* | 92.5 | 117 | 158.12 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | 78 | 20 | 13 | 66 | 118.18 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 2022 | 17 | 3 | 183 | 56* | 16.64 | 132 | 138.64 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 17 |
| 2021 | 11 | 2 | 93 | 25 | 11.62 | 83 | 112.04 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 2020 | 12 | 1 | 86 | 42* | 12.28 | 77 | 111.68 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 | 160 | 50 | 32 | 126 | 126.98 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 5 |
Mayank Yadav
Pace sensation from West Delhi, Mayank Yadav caused tremors in the Indian fast-bowling scene as he clocked more than 150 kmph speed on nine occasions of the 24 balls that he delivered in his debut match for Lucknow Super Giants against Punjab Kings.
He finished with figures of 3/127 in that game as Punjab were put off in their chase of 200. Mayank continued to give the speed gun a tough job as he delivered the fastest ball of IPL 2024 at 156.7 kmph against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and picked up three more wickets.
Mayank Yadav IPL stats
Mayank Yadav IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | BALLS | RUNS | WKTS | BBM | AVE | ECON | SR |
| 2024 | 3 | 54 | 54 | 6 | 3/14 | 9 | 6 | 9 |
Ashutosh Sharma
Ashutosh Sharma has been Shashank Singh's partner in crime in the last two matches of the Punjab Kings as the duo chased down 200 against the Titans from 111/5 and nearly took the team against Hyderabad while being 114/6, chasing 182 to win.
Ashutosh, who smashed the fastest century by an Indian when he hit an 11-ball hundred against Arunachal Pradesh while playing for Railways, was drafted into the Punjab Kings' playing 11 as an impact substitute in the match against Titans. He hit a 17-ball 31 to get Punjab close to victory. In the next game, he smashed Jaydev Unadkat for three sixes and put him under great pressure, Sharma scored an unbeaten 33 off just 15 balls. But the team fell short by just two runs.
Ashutosh Sharma IPL stats
Ashutosh Sharma IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | NO | RUNS | HS | AVG | BF | SR | 4S | 6S |
| Career | 2 | 1 | 64 | 33* | 64 | 32 | 200 | 6 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 33* | 64 | 32 | 200 | 6 | 3 |
Yash Thakur
Another name on the list is Yash Thakur. In the absence of Mayank who was injured after bowling just one over, Thakur rose to prominence in the game against Titans. The Vidarbha all-rounder showed great skills with the ball to become the first bowler in IPL 2024 to claim a five-wicket haul. Thakur was one of the main reasons why Lucknow defended 163 against the Titans. In this IPL so far, Thakur has six wickets from three games. He is more than just a decent batter and, if given a chance, could swing the willow as well.
Yash Thakur IPL stats
Yash Thakur IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | BALLS | RUNS | WKTS | BBM | AVE | ECON | SR | 4W | 5W |
| Career | 15 | 321 | 511 | 25 | 5/30 | 20.44 | 9.55 | 12.84 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 | 65 | 111 | 6 | 5/30 | 18.5 | 10.25 | 10.83 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 9 | 191 | 289 | 13 | 4/37 | 22.23 | 9.08 | 14.69 | 1 | 0 |
Noteworthy Mention: Abhishek Sharma
A noteworthy mention should be made to Punjab all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, who is representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. Abhishek has already smashed 177 runs at a strike rate of 208 while opening the innings. He is a more than capable left-arm spinner and would come in handy for the Hyderabad side if used well against right-handers, especially in powerplay.
Abhishek's lone fifty came against Mumbai Indians in the historic match where Hyderabad created the IPL record of the highest total.
Abhishek Sharma IPL stats
Abhishek Sharma IPL stats
| YEAR | MAT | NO | RUNS | HS | AVG | BF | SR | 50 | 4S | 6S | CT |
| Career | 57 | 6 | 1247 | 75 | 25.45 | 820 | 152.07 | 6 | 120 | 63 | 17 |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 177 | 63 | 35.4 | 85 | 208.24 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 3 |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 177 | 63 | 35.4 | 85 | 208.24 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 3 |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | 226 | 67 | 20.55 | 157 | 143.95 | 2 | 28 | 6 | 4 |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | 426 | 75 | 30.43 | 320 | 133.13 | 2 | 47 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | 98 | 33 | 16.33 | 75 | 130.66 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 2020 | 8 | 2 | 71 | 31 | 14.2 | 56 | 126.78 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5* | 4.5 | 9 | 100 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | 63 | 46* | 63 | 33 | 190.9 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
