Future Indian Batters who have Impressed in UAE:

We are halfway through the league stage of IPL 2020. And we have been blessed with some glittering and eye-pleasing cricket so far. A major feature of the Indian Premier League, like all its previous seasons, has been Indian youngsters taking responsibility and delivering. Here are five Indian batsmen who have impressed and are knocking on the door of Indian Cricket Team:

1. Devdutt Padikkal: The 20-year old southpaw has been one of the most talked-about players in the first half of the IPL season. His presence and performance have eased the pressure off the dynamic duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Padikkal has scored a total of 243 runs in seven games for RCB and is the second-highest run-scorer for them in IPL 2020 so far. 

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A conventional hitter of the ball, Padikkal has proven with his batting style that you can make it big without looking to hit it big. A key feature that makes the Karnataka based batsman a force to reckon with in the limited-overs format is his wrist work to dispatch anything near his legs. Padikkal is able to guide the ball over the boundary if the bowlers pitch it full to him. But at the same time, he tries to keep it as eye-soothing as it can be. 

2. Shubman Gill: It would be wrong to say that Shubman Gill has emerged from IPL 2020. The 21-year old has been on the radar since his heroics in India's U-19 World Cup triumph back in 2018. He has even debuted for India in the ODI series against New Zealand back in January 2019. But he hasn't been able to cement his position up there.

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In this IPL though, he has been given the all-important role of the innings establisher for Kolkata Knight Riders and he hasn't disappointed. Gill has scored 254 runs in seven games with two decorated half-centuries in the IPL tournament so far. 

And one can't ignore that there is a lot more to come from him. A mind-blowing statistic pertaining to Gill was his shot selection in the first three games he played this IPL. There was a lot of talk into the Indian players looking a bit out of the zone in the initial days of the tournament given that they hadn't had any game time in the last six months coming into the IPL. He faced a total of 107 balls in his first three innings and only edged or missed five of them.

3. Prithvi Shaw: Just like Gill, his captain from the India U-19 World Cup team, he isn't a newbie to IPL or to top-class cricket. Delhi Capitals have a strong core of young players that have put them in the top two of the league and Prithvi Shaw has been one of the most impressive ones.

Shaw has scored 202 runs in eight games for DC and has been at the heart of the stable starts they have registered in the initial games. And just like Padikkal and Shubman, Shaw hasn't really been a swashbuckling kind of a player. But more of a classy one in the middle.

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The talk around Shaw as being a big prospect for India's opening slot has been there for a while now. And the presence of an experienced campaigner in the form of current Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has been a huge positive for Shaw. The latter will be looking to build upon his momentum from his initial games this season to finish the tournament on a high note. 

4. Ishan Kishan: Another India U 19 captain who has started to come into his own on the big stage is the left-handed batsman Ishan Kishan. The 22-year old got a chance in the playing XI during MI's third game of the season against RCB with Saurabh Tiwary not being fit enough to feature. And the wicket-keeper batsman from Jharkhand proved it straight away with a 58-ball 99 knock. An innings that took the game into the super over from an almost impossible situation.

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Although he has only added 87 runs more in the next four games but with the franchise putting their faith in him in the middle over, one can expect Ishan Kishan to go big in this IPL. Maybe even stand upfront in the India wicketkeeper queue. 

An advantage for Kishan is the fact that the think tank in Mumbai Indians is very supportive of the talent of his calibre. And he can expect that continued support as long as he gives his best. This may turn out to be the breakout season for Ishan Kishan!

5. Priyam Garg: Yet another India U-19 captain. The latest one. Priyam Garg led a bunch of exciting young players to the U-19 WC final earlier this year. But as the U-19 team coach Paras Mhambrey said in the post-match press conference after the final, the 19-year old had to sacrifice his chances as a batsman for the team. And to his credit he did. Priyam has though emerged as a fantastic prospect of a finisher for SRH. 

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In Sunrisers Hyderabad's first game against Chennai Super Kings, Garg scored a 26-ball 51 to guide his team from a losing position onto a winning one. That too after he was involved in an unfortunate miscommunication with Kane Williamson. One that resulted in the latter's run-out. His courage to perform post that was a trailer of a cool-headed batter in the lower order. As fans, we hope it was just the trailer because this player sure looks one for the future. 

With David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey, and Kane Williamson as the top four for SRH, it is highly unlikely that the 19-year old will get more time to bat in the middle unless the team has lost these four wickets quickly. But even in those opportunities, Priyam Garg would be looking to make his case among the big boys!

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