IPL Emerging Player Award Winners From 2008 to 2020: What Are They Up To Now?
Published - 03 Apr 2021, 05:51 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:43 AM
Table of Contents
The ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ award in IPL rewards the best young talent who impresses with his ability and maturity and promises a bright future going forward. The award began as the ‘best under-19 player’ in 2008 and then ‘best under-23 player’ in 2009 and 2010.
It was then relabeled as ‘Rising Star of the Year’, then known as the ‘Best Young Player of the Season’ in 2013; since 2014, the award has been called the ‘Emerging Player of the Year’.
The youngsters who win the award are touted to become successful for their countries – many of them did, some couldn’t. Of all the 13 award winners only 1 has been a non-Indian while the rest 12 were Indian players, most of them going on to represent India.
IPL Emerging Player Award Winners From 2008 to 2020: What Are They Up To Now?
Shreevats Goswami-2008
Part of the 2008 under-19 World Cup-winning side, Shreevats Goswami was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the inaugural season. While he made 82 runs in 4 matches but showed flashes of brilliance and potential in his maiden half-century.
However, Goswami couldn’t convert his potential into an expected career- he has featured in 31 matches across the IPL for 4 different teams averaging a disappointing 14.65 with no further score of fifty or more. In the domestic circuit as well, the left-hander has under-performed for Bengal and continues to be the back-up keeper for Wriddhiman Saha at Sunrisers Hyderabad also.
Rohit Sharma-2009
Of all the players in this list, Rohit Sharma has unarguably had the most successful career in IPL and in international cricket. After playing a crucial role in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma, playing for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in 2009 scored 362 and bagged the award.
He would then go on to lead Mumbai Indians to 5 IPL titles and become arguably the greatest white-ball opener of his generation in international cricket. Rohit is currently the vice-captain of India’s white-ball team and a concrete member in Tests as well.
Saurabh Tiwary-2010
Saurabh Tiwary helped Mumbai Indians reach the final of IPL 2010 in his breakthrough IPL season scoring 419 runs. An India call-up soon followed and he played in 3 ODIs. Unfortunately, the left-hander couldn’t replicate his 2010 success in the future – indeed he couldn’t manage to score even 200 runs in any of the subsequent seasons while playing for Bangalore, Delhi, and now-defunct Pune teams.
The southpaw now, after the last season, remains a backup player in the Mumbai Indians side, after Ishan Kishan replaced him with thunderous performances.
Iqbal Abdulla-2011
With 16 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011, the left-arm spinner looked for a bright future. However, Iqbal Abdulla just faltered, not managing to pick more than 6 wickets in any single season thereafter.
He last featured in the IPL in 2017 for RCB. The 31-year-old continues to ply his trade for Uttarakhand in domestic cricket and is a consistent wicket-taker there, but with the emergence of several other spinners, he has been overlooked in the IPL and was never in the national team reckoning.
Mandeep Singh-2012
Mandeep Singh was one of the brightest youngsters in the 2012 season where he amassed 432 runs for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). The right-hander has constantly been in the fray in the IPL, but couldn’t cement his place, nor could replicate his 2012 form.
He played 3 T20Is for India in 2016, and notched up a fifty in one of the matches, but was never picked again. Mandeep will play a crucial part for KL Rahul’s side in the middle-order in IPL 2021.
Sanju Samson-2013
One of the most talented batsman to have won this particular award, Sanju Samson has been the torchbearer of Kerala cricket since Sreesanth. In his maiden IPL season – 2013 – for Rajasthan Royals, Samson displayed his class and elegance.
Every season, the right-hander will smash a half-century and make people wonder why he isn’t called up for the national side. However, it won’t take much longer to realize that Samson’s inconsistency is his key nemesis.?? In IPL 2021, for the first time, he is appointed as the permanent captain of the Royals, replacing Steve Smith. With a better show this time, he will hope to add more caps to his 7 T20Is.
Axar Patel-2014
In his maiden IPL season in 2014, for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Axar Patel picked 17 wickets. He has only prospered since- he soon made his ODI and T20I debut, but remained as a back-up spinner to R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Axar’s improvements in his batting have been marked which earned him a Test call-up as well against England recently when Jadeja was injured. Patel picked a record 27 wickets in 3 Tests and has sealed his place as a direct replacement for Jadeja in the future. He is also a crucial player for the Delhi Capitals, apart from his tight bowling, with his lower-order hitting.
Shreyas Iyer-2015
Since making his first-class debut in 2014 for Mumbai, Shreyas Iyer has travelled on an upwards curve leading to the coveted number 4 position in India’s limited-overs team. He flourished in his maiden IPL season in 2015 aggregating 439 runs for Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils). His last three seasons have all resulted in over 400 runs and he is the captain of the side.
Mustafizur Rahman-2016
Mustafizur Rahman is the only non-Indian on this list – and he did wonders for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 to earn this award. The Bangladeshi pacer took 17 wickets at a staggering economy of 6.90 helping David Warner’s side to the title.
However, his action was remodelled later and since then his stocks dropped significantly; he last played in the IPL in 2018. Mustafizur remains a crucial bowler for Bangladesh in white-ball cricket and will turn up for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021.
Basil Thampi-2017
Snapping up 11 wickets in his maiden season, Basil Thampi impressed everyone with his express pace, ability to hit the deck hard and execute yorkers as well while bowling for the now-obsolete Gujarat Lions in 2017.
However, the Kerala pacer’s form and numbers plunged- he has played only 8 matches and picked up 6 wickets in those in the last three seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Thampi recently went wicketless for Kerala in the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Rishabh Pant-2018
Rishabh Pant needs no introduction whatsoever. For the Delhi franchise, Pant hammered 684 runs in 2018 with 5 fifties and a century. There was never a doubt of playing in the national team.
While he suffered initial hiccups in white-ball cricket at the international level, his red-ball game always advocated for his talent and ability. Now in recent months, the 23-year-old has scripted series victories in Australia, and against England at home, and has stormed back in the limited-overs side as well. He will lead the Capitals in IPL 2021 as Shreyas Iyer is ruled out.
Shubman Gill-2019
One of the most elegant players in recent times, Shubman Gill has got better and better in the last three seasons while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders; he has also replaced Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw as the opener in the Test side along with Rohit Sharma. In IPL 2019, the right-hander scored 296 and followed it up with a breakthrough season last year registering 440 runs.
Devdutt Padikkal-2020
It is already a remarkable feat to score 473 runs in your maiden IPL season; it is sensational to outscore both Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers! Devdutt Padikkal did that last season while opening for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The left-hander is coming off a stunning Vijay Hazare Trophy where he smashed 4 consecutive hundred. The Kerala-born youngster will look to learn plenty under the Indian skipper in the coming years.
Also Read: IPL 2021: 5 Players Who Can Make Their Debuts For Delhi Capitals (DC) This Year
