The Indian Premier League begins on March 31 and plenty of young Indian cricketers will be hoping to perform for their franchise and catch the eye of the senior national team.
Here we take a look at some familiar names and a few up-and-coming youngsters hoping to impress during IPL 2023, and hopefully earn their India cap soon.
Mohsin Khan (left-arm fast, Lucknow Super Giants)
The left-arm quick was almost certain to play for India last year after a stupendous IPL. Touching 150kph, Mohsin swung the ball late both ways. He also bowls a perfectly disguised slower ball. However, Mohsin was injured soon after the last year's IPL, with fitness said to be his biggest concern ahead of this year's tournament. Given the dearth of quality left-arm quicks in India, Mohsin, 24, should walk into the India team as soon as he is fully fit.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar (all-rounder, Chennai Super Kings)
The next star all-rounder of India. Hangargekar was the hero of India's victorious 2022 U19 World Cup team, but the 20-year-old warmed the bench in IPL 2022. However, he is expected to be unleashed this year. Hangargekar hits a long ball and bowls briskly with the new ball. He is seen as the long-term replacement to Hardik Pandya.
Avinash Singh (right-arm fast, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The similarities between Avinash and Umran Malik are uncanny. Both hail from Jammu, have a carbon copy action and regularly bowl at 150kph. Consistency is biggest factor when it comes to T20 cricket and it will be interesting to see if Avinash moves the ball as well, something that Malik has been unable to do so far. Avinash has never played professional leather ball cricket, and could well play his first on one of the biggest stages of all.
Shahrukh Khan (all-rounder, Punjab Kings)
Hard-hitting lower order batsmen who bowl quality spin are hard to come by. Shahrukh has a great power game and could be a regular fixture in the future. His role was not clearly defined by Punjab last year, and he was wasted down the order. He will need to be used more judiciously.
Mukesh Choudhary (left-arm seamer, Chennai Super Kings)
A classic left-arm seam bowler in the mould of Trent Boult. A remarkably smooth action makes Choudhary a good candidate for longer versions of the game. Traditional swing might not be as valued in IPL, but he can be a real handful.
Rahul Tewatia (batsman, Gujarat Titans)
One of the most effective power hitters in Indian cricket, who also bowls a bit of leg spin. Being a left-hander is a huge advantage and Tewatia, 29, should hope to attract the attention of the national team management, especially as a number of India batsmen are well into their 30s and won't be around for much longer.
Tilak Varma (batsman, Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai don't have a lot going for them when it comes to local talent. However, the left-handed batsman seems a class apart, displaying maturity far beyond his 20 years. Earmarked as a future India batsman following a good IPL 2022 where he scored just under 400 runs.
