It is nearly a month before the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) takes centre stage in September in UAE this year. Touted as one of the toughest T20 leagues around the globe, the cash-rich league has been instrumental in shaping careers of various T20 players around the globe.
The league also furnishes a platform for young Indian talent to prove their mettle at the big stage. Ever since the inception of the league in 2008, the lucrative league has produced a host of players who have represented the national team at the highest level.
As we approach another IPL edition in 2020, it is worth taking a look at players who will be followed much closely for what they offer to their IPL franchises this season:
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1. Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi, the young leg-spinner who hails from Rajasthan, is definitely one of the youngsters to watch out for in IPL 2020. Bishnoi, who was snapped by Kings XI Punjab at the IPL auction 2020 for INR 2 Crores, was highly rated by KXIP head coach Anil Kumble. The 19-year old wreaked havoc in the U-19 World Cup with his astonishing figures of 4/5 against Japan U-19.
Continuing his form, Bishnoi was at the rescue to deliver the goods against New Zealand U-19 as he picked up another 4-wicket haul in his second consecutive outings. With a surreal run in the U-19 Cricket World Cup, Kings XI Punjab will expect a lot from the youngster in the upcoming IPL season. Ravi's IPL performance in the KXIP squad will now be followed with much anticipation in IPL 2020.
2. Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan is hogging the limelight for all the right reasons in the last couple of weeks. Playing for Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, Sarfaraz Khan smashed his maiden triple century in a Ranj trophy match against Uttar Pradesh. Sarfaraz, who has always been under the scrutiny for his wrong attitude towards the game, has allowed his bat to do all the talking.
In his latest outing for Mumbai, the 22-year old backed up his triple ton with another double century against Himachal Pradesh. Sarfaraz remained not out on Stumps on Day 1 with a score of 226 to his name. With an approaching IPL, his form in the Ranji Trophy will do a world of good to his confidence ahead of a fresh season.
Sarfaraz Khan scores a double century after his heroics last week
After being retained by Kings XI Punjab in their IPL squad, the Mumbai cricketer will hope to count upon his purple patch and carry his rich vein of form even in IPL 2020.
3. Shivam Dube
The Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube has quickly moved up the ranks from making his IPL debut in 2019 to make it to the Indian team in less than 12 months. Dube, who was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their IPL squad 2020, will have to shoulder the responsibility of one of RCB's key all-rounders in IPL 2020.
Dube, who has looked impressive with the Indian team in his short career so far, will have a lot of expectations to answer with his performance in IPL 2020. He's currently with the Indian team on their tour to New Zealand and has done well in the limited opportunities that have come his way.
It will be interesting to see if the 26-year old all-rounder can deliver for RCB in IPL-13 with an extra burden of living up to the trust invested by the franchise after retaining him ahead of the IPL edition.
