FEATURES
Follow UsThe forthcoming IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will see marquee players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer go under the hammer but the auction will also put a huge spotlight on the uncapped players making waves in domestic cricket and local T20 leagues.
On the batting front, there are a number of individuals who have upped their game and have made a big impact in local domestic T20 events such as the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Delhi Premier League (DPL), Maharaja T20 League and Uttar Pradesh T20 League (UPT20), to name a few. An IPL contract could be around the corner for several batters who starred in these competitions
We look at some notable names who could very well earn a lot of traction when their names are called out at the auction. The players have been split into categories based on the roles they perform.
Powerplay bashers
Priyansh Arya (Delhi)
> Highest run scorer in Delhi Premier League 2024 – 608 runs
> He strikes at 177 in powerplay and goes on to smash at an SR of 208 and 237, respectively in the middle and final five overs (death overs)
> Has scored 79% runs in powerplay through fours and sixes
> Has smashed 54 sixes in just 15 matches in his T20 career
Luvnith Sisodia (Karnataka)
> Has maintained a good strike rate of 140+ in powerplay in 2024
> His conventional batting style helps him play long innings as he scores a majority of the runs through the ground
> Starts at 140+ SR, but his scoring rate goes up as the innings progresses
Tushar Raheja (Tamil Nadu)
> Has struck at 175 in the powerplay in T20s in 2024
> Has a strike rate over 160 against pacers in T20s this year
> Has averaged 151 against spin in T20s in 2024, getting out only once in seven games
Top-order anchors
LR Chetan (Karnataka)
Read: On IPL radar for a long time, LR Chethan hopes to finally break through
> Second highest run-scorer in Maharaja Trophy history. He scored 429 runs in 11 innings in the 2024 edition
> Strikes at over 150+ in all three phases
> Consistently plays long innings and scores quality runs. Opened the batting and played more than eight overs in six of the 11 innings in the 2024 Maharaja Trophy; posted four fifties in total
Swasthik Chikara (Uttar Pradesh)
> Highest run scorer in UP T20 League history. In the 2024 edition, he scored 499 runs in 12 innings at a SR of 186, scoring 5 fifties and one hundred
> Only Indian batter to score three consecutive centuries in T20s
> Has smashed pacers at a strike rate of 197 across the last two UPT20 seasons and was part of Delhi Capitals setup last year (2024)
Harnoor Singh Pannu (Punjab)
> Harnoor has been a consistent performer as an opener in T20s since 2023, scoring 710 runs with a SR of 142 in 22 innings, smashing seven fifties
> He was the highest run-scorer in Sher-e-Punjab T20 2024, scoring 578 runs in 12 innings, averaging 57.8 and striking at 153
> He has a SR over 150 in both powerplay and middle overs and is consistent, with just one single digit return in 12 T20s this year
Aryan Juyal (Uttar Pradesh)
> Aryan Juyal has stepped up across all three formats in the last two years, scoring runs in First Class, List A and T20s
> Set the stage on fire in UP T20 League 2024 as he scored 216 runs in just three games at a SR of 162, smashing one fifty and a hundred. He missed the remainder of the tournament due to Duleep Trophy
> Has been consistently playing big knocks in FC cricket, averaging more than 50 this year
Himmat Singh (Delhi)
> He was a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2019
> Led from the front as the captain in East Delhi Riders winnings DPL 2024 as he was the highest run scorer for his team, smashing 363 runs at an average of 63.5 and SR of 166 with four fifties
> As a top-order batter, he takes on pacers head-on, smashing them at a SR of 172
Middle-overs accelerators
Vishnu Vinod (Kerala)
> Vishnu Vinod was a part of RCB in IPL 2017 and MI in IPL 2023
> He has had a good 2024 thus far, scoring 555 runs in 15 games, hammering bowlers at a SR of 185
> As a top-order batter, he has scored 200+ runs in both powerplay and middle overs (7-15) in 2024, scoring at a SR of 188 and 195, respectively, in each phase
> Spinners have been taken to the cleaners by the right-hander this year, who has smashed 32 of his 43 sixes this year against the tweakers alone, at a strike rate of 222
Atharva Kale (Maharashtra)
> Right-handed Atharva Kale has been a middle-overs accelerator, scoring 62% of his runs in T20s in 2024 in this phase, batting at strike rate of 148
> He has a 150+ strike rate against both pace and spin in T20s this year
> He smashed the most 6s in Maharashtra Premier League this season, smashing 30 sixes in 10 innings
Finishers
Manoj Bhandage (Karnataka)
> Manoj Bhandage was a part of the RCB team across IPL 2023 & 2024
> He was the most destructive batter in Maharaja Trophy 2024, smashing 292 runs at a SR of 213, exclusively operating as a finisher
> His beast-like batting in slog overs (16-20), where he smashed 24 of his 25 sixes at a SR of 252, made Mysuru an unstoppable force at the death with the bat in hand
> His all-round performance for Mysuru Warriors (292 runs & 8 wickets in 10 games) played a major role in the side winning the Maharaja Trophy 2024
Mayank Rawat (Delhi)
> He smashed the spinners to smithereens, striking at a rate of 220. 16 of his 18 sixes were against the tweakers
> He made sure to stay till the end, as he got out only four times in seven innings. He was destructive in the final five overs, scoring at a strike rate of 277, smashing a boundary every second ball
Salil Arora (Punjab)
> Salil Arora had a breakout season for Trident Stallions in Sher-e-Punjab T20 2024, scoring 342 runs in 12 innings at an average of 48.86 and a SR of 147
> This year, he’s hammered pacers everywhere, scoring at a SR of 196, smashing 30 sixes against the quicks
> He starts slow in middle overs, with his SR in the phase reading 123. However, his scoring explodes in slog overs (16-20) as this strike rate jumps to 210
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here
