2024 IPL auction: Emerging players to watch out for

The Indian Premier League auction, or IPL auction, is set to take place on 19 December at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The event also opens up the opportunity for some of the top players in the T20 circuit to earn big with franchises bidding on them.

Not only star players but domestic and emerging cricketers have a chance to make a mark at the auction as scouting teams of several franchises identify them during the tournament going on throughout the year.

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Five Indian emerging players to watch out for at the IPL auction 2024

Arshin Kulkarni

Pace-bowling all-rounders in India is a rare phenomenon and Arshin Kulkarni is one such player who can rake in a huge amount at such a young age. He is part of India’s U19 World Cup squad and recently shined in the Asia Cup as well.

Arshin was the highest run-getter for India in the U19 Asia Cup that was recently played in the UAE.

He scored 138 runs in four innings at an average of 69 and also picked up four wickets with the ball.

More often, he swung the ball prodigiously as well. Add to it his blistering century in the Maharashtra Premier League for Eagle Nashik Titans and Arshin could have a big IPL payday at the auction.

He also made his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) debut for Maharashtra, smashing 121 runs in five innings at a strike rate of more than 160 and picking up four wickets as well. All in all, Arshin might be one of the few emerging who might have a big payday at the IPL auction 2024.

Musheer Khan

Musheer Khan is another player from the India U19 World Cup who has a chance to enjoy the IPL auction this week.

He is a spin bowling all-rounder and makes an impact with his all-round skills for any side he is picked for. He was in action during the recently concluded U19 Asia Cup as well, where he scored 100 runs in three innings while also picking up a wicket with his left-arm spin.

There is an interesting story of Musheer Khan – while he was only eight years old, he had dismissed the then-star batter Yuvraj Singh.

He has certainly risen to fame now and also led Mumbai to the final of the Cooch Behar Trophy last year. Musheer was named the player of the tournament there for amassing 632 runs and picking up 32 wickets.

Thanks to these incredible numbers, he managed to make his Ranji Trophy debut, where he has played three matches so far, scoring 96 runs and picking up a couple of wickets. Musheer is certainly a star in the making and, if shown faith, can become an asset for any franchise in years to come.

Kartik Tyagi

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Photo by Icon sport

Kartik Tyagi is unlucky to not have become a star so far but at 23, he still has time and can go for big bucks at the IPL auction thanks to his pace bowling.

The youngster’s career has been troubled a bit with injuries as well but now he looks as fit as ever and will be raring to go if given the opportunity in the cash-rich league.

Tyagi was part of India’s U19 World Cup squad in 2020 that finished as runners-up and has already played for Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in his short IPL career.

Tyagi has played 19 IPL matches so far picking up 15 wickets but his short stint in the league is known for his exceptional last over against Punjab Kings in IPL 2021.

Kartik Tyagi had sensationally defended four runs in the final over of the match, conceding only a single, much to the delight of everyone.

But surprisingly, his stocks have fallen drastically since then. Nevertheless, the talent is there and if groomed well, Tyagi can surely be the one to watch out for in Indian cricket in coming years.

Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan from Tamil Nadu is back in the auction after a not-so-great stint with the Punjab Kings. He is one of the best finishers still available in the domestic circuit and can tonk the ball hard at any stage of the game.

Shahrukh was snapped up by Punjab for INR 5.25 crore in the auction but the stint didn’t work out for him as expected.

But he is certainly a fierce hitter of the ball and strikes at 133.52 in T20 cricket, having featured in 83 matches so far.

He didn’t have a great time in the SMAT this season but the man has proved his worth multiple times already and even at 28, can still be considered an emerging player with the lack of opportunities in the IPL over the last couple of seasons.

If given a chance, Shahrukh can surely turn it around for any side that picks him at the auction.

Kumar Kushagra

Numbers don’t give you the exact picture sometimes and this is the case with Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. In T20 cricket, batting at number six might turn out to be a bane but Kushagra has the talent in him to make it big coming down the order.

One such instance happened in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over domestic tournament) when Jharkhand were chasing a mammoth total of 355 runs against Maharashtra and Kushagra came into bat at six.

He smashed an unbeaten 67 off 37 balls with four fours and five massive sixes to take his side home in sensational fashion.

Certainly, such efforts don’t go unnoticed and this knock in itself might turn out to be game-changing for Kumar Kushagra.

Interestingly, a few scouts were available to watch him play that knock, and that could earn him an IPL team come the auction day. The 19-year-old will have his fingers crossed on 19 December, hoping for one of the 10 teams pick him.

SarahSarah

A strong believer in the fact that Kohli and Paes are the greatest Indian superstars!