One of the many ideas behind the Indian T20 League has been churning out the talents from the across the country, and now that we are into the 13th season of the competition, it is safe to say that it has duly served its purpose.
Right from its inaugural season in 2008 to the ongoing edition in the United Arab Emirates, young players have performed shoulder to shoulder with the senior member, and today, we look at four uncapped Indian players who scored most runs in their Indian T20 League debut.
Swapnil Asnodkar - 60 against Kolkata in 2008
In the inaugural season of the Indian T20 League, debutant Swapnil Asnodkar, playing for the eventual champions Rajasthan, opened the innings with veteran Graeme Smith. While the South African failed to get going, the then 24-year-old Asnodkar went on to score a fantastic 34-ball 60, an innings which included 10 fours and one six. Hitting at a strike rate of 176.47 - the best by any player in the game - his effort took Rajasthan all the way to 196/7 in 20 overs; a total that his team defended quite easily. The opener was rightly adjudged as the Man of the Match on the night.
Devdutt Padikkal - 56 against Hyderabad in 2020
20-year-old Devdutt Padikkal has been a revelation for Bangalore in the Indian T20 League, having scored 243 runs at 34.71 so far with three half-centuries already to his name. His best knock, however, came in Bangalore’s opening game against Hyderabad where the youngster went on to score 52 off 42 deliveries, hitting at a strike rate of 133.33. Padikkal not only scored a half-century but was also a perfect partner for his fellow opener Aaron Finch as the duo stitched a 90-run opening wicket stand. After putting 163/5 on board, Bangalore rode on the back of an excellent spell by spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to win the game by 10 runs.
Ambati Rayudu - 55 against Rajasthan in 2010
Batsman Ambati Rayudu made his Indian T20 League debut with Mumbai Indians in 2010, a season where he scored 356 runs at an average of 27.38. Coming on to bat as a No. 5 batsman against Rajasthan, Rayudu went on to score a 33-ball 55, scoring at a strike rate of 166.66. After the top order had failed to get runs, Rayudu combined with Saurabh Tiwary to stitch a 110-run stand to take Mumbai all the way to 212/6 in 20 overs. Rajasthan did their best to reach the target, but fell a mere four runs short. For Rayudu he went on to score runs quite consistently before finally being called into the T20I setup in 2014.
Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan - 54 against Delhi in 2008
Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, quite an unknown equity, played for team Chennai in the Indian T20 League and made his mark in the first game itself, scoring a 37-ball 54 against Delhi, a team that had the likes of Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik in their ranks. Vidyut’s knock included seven fours and one six, and riding on his back, Chennai posted 169 on board. Delhi, on their part, were brutal with the bat, with Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag taking them to 115 without losing a wicket. After the openers were gone, AB de Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan took the team all the way to glory.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07
