IPL 2023: 3 Uncapped Players to Watch Out for in the Upcoming Season

The start of the IPL 2023 is just a few days away and the upcoming edition promises to be another spectacle. With the introduction of new rules like the impact player and review of no-balls and wides, the 2023 season is going to be one to remember forever. Like every season, all eyes will be on the biggest T20 stars of the world like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, David Warner, etc. Apart from these big names and other capped internationals, there will be some uncapped players who will use the IPL as a stage to showcase their talent and perform well in order to play for their national team soon.

Those players may not be very popular but will be expected to deliver fine numbers to their franchises at the IPL 2023. These names haven’t donned the jersey of their national teams as yet but have done extremely well in the domestic circles, at the U-19 level for their respective countries. 

Over the years, IPL has seen exceptional performances by uncapped players in high-voltage clashes. Players like Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, and Suryakumar Yadav have represented India. Not only Indian but overseas players have also shared the same story. Playing in IPL helps in the player’s growth and performing in it brings the best out of that particular player. 

Recognizing the efforts of such players, the franchises have invested in them and they’ll be keen to prove their worth. In this listicle, we look at the three uncapped players who can make it big in the upcoming season.

3) Abhishek Sharma

The rookie all-rounder from Punjab hogged the limelight during his U19 days. He was successful in getting an IPL deal soon after winning the U19 World Cup 2018. Abhishek has been part of IPL since 2018 when he was bought by Delhi Daredevils (DD) for INR 55 lakh for the first time. The lack of consistent opportunities till the 2021 season didn’t help the cause of the 21-year-old to come into the limelight. In the mega auction in the year 2022, he was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for INR 6.5 crore. Under the guidance of West Indies legend Brian Lara, the Punjab-born cricketer made the most of the long run given to him. In an overall disappointing campaign for the orange army, Abhishek was a bright light in the campaign.

The attacking left-hander opened the innings alongside then-skipper Kane Williamson and finished the season as the highest run-getter for the team. He amassed 426 runs at an average of above 30 in 14 games. For the first time in his career, Abhishek played all the games for a franchise in an IPL season. A utility player who is more than a decent left-arm orthodox spinner, Abhishek had a good domestic season across the formats leading up to the IPL 2023. After a breakthrough season last year, Abhishek will be aiming for another successful season to push his case for national selection.  

2) Rajat Patidar 

None of the ten franchises showed any interest in the 29-year-old batter from Madhya Pradesh in the mega auction ahead of the 2022 season. He earned a surprise call from Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement player for Luvnith Sisodia. As a replacement player, it becomes difficult to break into the playing XI, especially when you were not in the initial plans of the team. The same case was with Patidar at RCB. A special talent, Patidar caught eyeballs in the net sessions which paved the way for his RCB debut. He was handed a few games and he made the most of the limited opportunity, scoring 333 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore at a staggering average of 55.50 and an impressive strike rate of 152.75.

What made his stint incredibly special was the innings of an unbeaten 112 against Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to inspire his team to a 14-run win in the eliminator. The right-handed batter earned a maiden call-up to the Indian ODI squad for the series against South Africa on the back of his IPL exploits but remained on the sidelines. This year Patidar is expected to play more games as compared to last year and he would love to have a breakthrough season.

1) Rahul Tewatia 

Tewatia hit the headlines during IPL 2020 when he smashed five sixes in an over of Sheldon Cottrell. Uncapped Tewati announced himself after getting the better of premier West Indies white-ball bowler Cottrell. He couldn’t replicate the same in 2021 as he managed just 155 runs from 11 innings at 15.50, and picked up eight wickets from 13 innings at 42.50, going for 9.18 runs an over. In the 2022 mega auction, he was bought by Gujarat Titans.

The spinning all-rounder became an integral member of the Gujarat Titans squad, with Hardik Pandya and Co. making an unprecedented run to the title last year. He didn’t bowl much but played a couple of dazzling cameos in the lower-middle order. Titans “finisher” tallied 217 runs at an average of 31 and a blistering strike rate of 147.62. The leg-break bowler’s services weren’t needed much with the ball but he could play a bigger role with both bat and ball in the IPL 2023. The left-handed batter is the sort of character every team wants. His hunger and desire to contribute in every game make him our number one pick.