IPL Emerging Player Award Winners: From Shreevats Goswami To Umran Malik- Where Are They Now?
While a handful of the award winners have gone on to become massive international stars, others have not been to convert the potential in them to success at the highest level of the sport.
'Where Talent Meets Opportunity' is the mantra that the Indian Premier League (IPL) stands by. Each year the T20 tournament unearths several relatively unknown names from the interiors of Indian cricket and puts them on the global stage for the world to have a closer look.
Only a few manage to shine while rubbing shoulders against the some of the best in the world and even fewer manage to convert the potential into a career as a reputed international cricketer. Each year the T20 tournament recognises a young talent who has been the most impressive in the competition with the "IPL Emerging Player Award."
In the 15 seasons that have been completed so far, as many players have received this award. While a handful of them have gone on to become massive international stars, others have not been to convert the spark in them to success at the highest level of the sport.
Here is a quick look at the award winners from each season and where they are now:-
1. Shreevats Goswami (2008- Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Shreevats Goswami, a left-handed wicketkeeper batter much like his cricketing idol Adam Gilchrist, was part of the Virat Kohli-led Under 19 side that lifted the World Cup in 2008. He even scored a vital 58 in the semi-final against New Zealand in that competition apart from his impressive glovework. He was picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the inaugural season of the IPL and bagged the Emerging Player Of The Year Award with the help of a few modest outings. A legend of Bengal cricket, he left the state and represented Mizoram in the last domestic season.
2. Rohit Sharma (2009- Deccan Chargers)
Perhaps the most recognised name in this entire list is that of Rohit Sharma who is currently the captain of the senior men's Indian national cricket team. Rohit was part of the India U-19 squad in 2006 which reached the finals but lost to Pakistan in the summit clash.
He was picked by the Deccan Chargers in the IPL and made a name for himself quickly as one of the talented youngsters, famously helping Deccan Chargers to score 26 runs in the final over against Kolkata Knight Riders to win the match. He even picked a hat-trick against the Mumbai Indians to end with figures of 4/6. Later, The Hitman became one of the best white-ball players and one of the great IPL captains, having led MI to five titles already.
3. Saurabh Tiwary (2010- Mumbai Indians)
In the third year of the IPL, Saurabh Tiwary was adjudged the Emerging Player Of The Year. He represented the Mumbai Indians in that season. The left-handed batter from Jharkhand was also part of the India U-19 side that won the World Cup in 2008. However, it was the really the 2010 edition of the IPL that brought him under the spotlight.
The strongly built southpaw scored 419 runs in 16 games for the franchise that season, a performance which helped him earn an ODI cap and a bid of over Rs 7 crore by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the following season. However, he failed to sustain that form and last played in the IPL in 2021. He continues to represent Jharkhand in the domestic circuit, aged 33.
4. Iqbal Abdulla (2011- Kolkata Knight Riders)
Yet another member of the U-19 World Cup squad that lifted the trophy in Malaysia in 2008 under Virat Kohli, left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla was actually that team's highest wicket-taker, ending the tournament with ten wickets at an exceptional average of 13.
However, it was really the 2010-11 season where he came to his own where he first scalped 27 wickets in Ranji Trophy before claiming 16 wickets for KKR in IPL 2011, on his way to an Emerging Player Of The Year Award. But he failed to continue that form for long and last played a first-class match for Mizoram in 2022 after making his debut for Mumbai in 2007. He is currently 33-year-old.
5. Mandeep Singh (2012- Kings XI Punjab)
Mandeep Singh, the vice-captain of India's U-19 World Cup 2010 side, made his first-class debut for Punjab after the World event. He scored an unbeaten half-century in his first innings, thereby confirming that he was ready for this level.
He quickly became one of the important batters of the Punjab side and was picked by the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the IPL for whom he had a breakthrough season in 2012, scoring 432 runs at an average of 27 and a strike rate in excess of 126 for which was awarded the Emerging Player Of The Year award.
However, he failed to maintain the consistency in the following seasons, not managing even 300 runs in any of the season thereafter. At 31, Mandeep is currently part of the KKR squad but has only played 3 matches for 14 runs so far.
6. Sanju Samson (2013- Rajasthan Royals)
Sanju Samson is also one of the well-known names in this list. The current captain of the Rajasthan Royals has been around for a long time and was the Emerging Player Of The Year in 2013, playing for the same franchise.
One of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball, the wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala scored 206 runs from 11 matches in 2013 which was judged enough for him to get the recognition. Since then, he has gone on to become the captain of the team and has represented India in 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is.
He remains in contention to be a part of India's ODI World Cup squad later at home this year, averaging 66 from 10 innings in that format.
7. Axar Patel (2014- Kings XI Punjab)
Axar Patel has also become a regular member of the Indian side and thus a recognised face in the Indian cricket circuit. He is currently the vice-captain of the Delhi Capitals franchise and has upped his batting skills big time to emerge as a genuine left-arm spin bowling all-rounder.
In IPL 2014 though, it was largely his bowling that had helped him bag the Emerging Player Of the Year award as he scalped 17 wickets from as many games in the season at a scarcely believable economy rate of 6.13. The Gujarat-born cricketer has represented India in all three formats of the game, having played 12 Tests, 51 ODIs and 40 T20Is.
8. Shreyas Iyer (2015- Delhi Daredevils)
Shreyas Iyer is another player who has represented India in all three formats of the game. He has led Delhi and Kolkata franchises in the IPL as well and was set to lead KKR once again in IPL 2023 before an injury ruled him out of the entire season.
The Mumbai batter was the recipient of the IPL Emerging Player Of the Year award in 2015 where he scored 439 runs from 14 matches at an average of 33.76 and a strike rate of over 128. He finished 2022 as the highest run-scorer for India in ODIs and was certain for a place in the team but the injury could force him out of the squad.
9. Mustafizur Rahman (2016- Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The only overseas cricketer to have been given the honour to date, Bangladesh's left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman received the award in 2016 when he was playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He scalped 17 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of under 7 to hog the limelight and have a memorable season. Since then he has had a great run in international cricket for Bangladesh and has played 15 Tests, 86 ODIs and 83 T20Is, having over 250 International wickets to his credit. This year, he is part of the Delhi Capitals camp.
10. Basil Thampi (2017- Gujarat Lions)
Basil Thampi won the IPL's Emerging Player of the year award in 2017 where he represented the Gujarat Lions. He finished that season with 11 wickets from 12 matches. However, the right-arm speedster failed to create the same impact in the following season and overall has only managed to play 25 IPL games in which he has taken 22 wickets at an economy of 9.50. The Kerala fast bowler represented his home state in the recent Ranji Trophy season but wasn't roped by any franchise ahead of the IPL 2023.
11. Rishabh Pant (2018- Delhi Capitals)
The talented left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has quickly become one of the most talked about cricketers in the world because of his ability and the kind of impact he has already had in his short-career. Not only for the Delhi franchise but even for Team India, Pant has been at the forefront of many a memorable wins already and this seems to be just the beginning.
He is currently not part of IPL 2023 as he continues to recover from an injury he sustained in a car accident in December last year but otherwise he was set to lead DC, the same franchise playing for whom he had won the Emerging Player Of the year in 2018. He had scored 684 runs that season at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of a mind boggling 173.60.
12. Shubman Gill (2019- Kolkata Knight Riders)
Part of India's U-19 World Cup winning side in 2018, Gill continued his good form and impressed one and all with his performances in IPL 2019. He scored 296 runs from 14 matches in that edition of the competition at an average of 32.88 and more than the runs, it was the elegance and class with which he got them that attracted a lot of eyeballs.
Since then, Gill has already come a long way, having represented the nation at the highest level in all three formats and even going on to become the youngest batter to score a double hundred in ODIs, achieving the feat against New Zealand aged 23 years and 132 days. He is currently playing for the Gujarat Titans side in IPL 2013.
13. Devdutt Padikkal (2020- Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The left-handed top-order batter from Bangalore was picked by RCB before IPL 2020 and he instantly made an impact. He outshone other batters in a team which had the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers which goes on to say a lot about his potential. It is still early days in his career and he has represented India in 2 T20Is but with what was on display in that season where he scored 473 at a strike rate of 124.80 and an average of 31.53, it seems like there is a lot ahead of him. He is currently playing for the Rajasthan Royals this season.
14. Ruturaj Gaikwad (2021- Chennai Super Kings)
What a talent Ruturaj Gaikwad is. He made the 2021 season his own where he scored 635 runs at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26. He has been consistent also following that season with another 368-run season under his belt.
He has already scored 270 runs from 7 matches this year and some of the cricket experts reckon that he could also be one of the players who can replace MS Dhoni as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings when the legendary leader decides to call it a day. He was awarded the IPL Emerging Player Of the Year award in 2021 and has already donned the national colours in 1 ODI and 9 T20Is.
15. Umran Malik (2022- Sunrisers Hyderabad)
A right-arm fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir, Umran Malik's pace makes him a rare talent in Indian cricket. As a result there is so much talk about him already. In IPL 2022, he scalped 22 wickets from 14 matches which helped him bag the Emerging Player Of the Year award.
Even though he went at an economy of over 9, he has played played 8 ODIs and 8 T20Is because of the sheer speed that he brings to the table. The 23-year-old is playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season as well and has scalped 5 wickets so far.
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