Cricket’s biggest carnival is about to begin very soon and all the teams are busy lining up their resources to come out victors in this season’s IPL. Indian conditions and spinners are two things which are inseparable from each other. A quality spinner even in this format of the game is crucial for a team to succeed in the subcontinent. Sunil Narine has been defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ prime weapon for success last season. Today we look at potentially the 5 most promising Indian spinners to watch out for in this year’s IPL.
1. KC Cariappa: First spotted by AR Srikanth, the team analyst for Kolkata Knight Riders who is also the analyst for Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League(KPL). Kariappa represented the Bulls in the KPL and his talent did not go unnoticed. He was asked to bowl in the nets in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp in Hyderabad last year before the Champions League T20. Gautam Gambhir who was batting that time at the nets faced the mystery spinner and if sources are to be believed he struggled against him. This prompted the KKR management to go all out for him in the auctions and finally seal the deal for a massive 2.4 crores! The man to watch out for!
2. Pravin Tambe: Tambe made his debut for the Rajasthan Royals at the ripe old age of 41 years in IPL 2013. His selection by then captain Rahul Dravid was a matter of great debate among the cricketing circles but he went to prove all his detractors wrong with his strong performances on the field when he took 12 wickets at an average of 6.50! This performance was subsequently followed by a call up to the Mumbai Ranji team. As they say the ‘older the better’ and this man is sure to have new additions to his variety of wrist spinners.
3. Kuldeep Yadav: Kuldeep Yadav didn’t play a first class game before he was picked to play for India in the ODI series against West Indies in October 2014. He initially started off as a fast bowler before he switched to his left arm chinaman. The Kolkata Knight Riders were quick to notice his talent and bought him for $66,000 prior to the Under 19 World Cup. He did not make his IPL debut last time around and only got to show his skills in the Champions League. All of 20 years, Yadav looks a promising prospect for this year’s IPL.
4. Karn Sharma: Karn Sharma grabbed the headlines in 2014 when he was picked up for a whopping 3.75 crore by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, making him the highest earning domestic uncapped player. He was awarded for his impressive performance in the 2013 season as he picked up 11 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 6.60. He subsequently made his Test debut for India in Adelaide in December 2014.
5. Yuzvendra Chahal: Impressed for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last season,the man from Haryana picked up 12 wickets in 14 matches. Potentially one of the most promising talents in the Indian domestic set up, Chahal will be raring to go as a good performance in the IPL can elevate him to national recogning.
The potential is high but it remains to be seen if it will be converted into performances. We will have to wait and find out.
By Ashirbad Hazarika
