India's Next Big Things

In IPL-­XI, India’s youngest showed they can hold their own against the best in the world. It is now up to the system to nurture them so they are able to transition into complete cricketers.

- Anand Vasu

Every edition of the Indian Premier League defines itself in ways that it neither intended nor anticipated. The league, into its 11th year, has a life of its own and, surprisingly, it has defied all stereotypes, propaganda and hype to become a self­fulfilling prophecy.

The IPL, like most Twenty20 cricket, was conceived as a young man’s game. Instead, the most marketable tournament in the world became a showcase for the biggest stars, most of them established players, some of them raging against the dying light in their own countries.

In IPL ­XI, however, India’s youngest showed that they can hold their own against the best in the world like never before. There was always one young bolter who made an impact, but not once had young Indian cricketers been part of a pack before the 2018 edition.

The youth brigade

Prithvi Shaw, like state mate Sachin Tendulkar, was identified at a cruelly young age, put under the microscope and preordained for greatness. To his credit, the 18­year­old has proved himself at every opportunity, scoring runs by the bucketful for the India under­19 team, following that up with five first class centuries in 10 games and then giving the Delhi Daredevils the impetus the team needed at the top of the order.