The IPL has been shaped by talented youngsters over the last 16 years, with Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma and Yashasvi Jaiswal showing themselves as outstanding performers on the grand stage. However, not all young bowlers have had the start to the 2023 season that many expected of them.
Let’s look at 3 such promising young bowlers:
1) Umran Malik
Last year, Umran Malik had an impressive showing, taking 22 wickets in 14 matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad performed poorly despite his efforts, placing eighth in the IPL 2022 standings. After the season ended, Malik was selected to play for India in both T20Is and ODIs, with many expecting him to continue his strong form. Unfortunately, the bowler has not had the same success so far this year, having only taken five wickets in four games and conceded runs at a rate of more than 11 per over. SRH will be hoping that Malik can regain his form quickly and provide them with the much-needed spark they need.
2) Yash Dayal
Yash Dayal of the Gujarat Titans had an impressive IPL season in 2022, which earned him a place in the Indian squad for a series against Bangladesh. Last year he picked up 11 wickets in nine matches and was expected to be an integral part of the Titans’ title defense this season. Unfortunately, his performance has been rather disappointing so far. He only bowled one over each in the first two games and was quite expensive with his points. The climax of his struggles came in the game against KKR, when he infamously gave away five sixes in the 20th over to hand the opponents the win. Since then, Dayal has not made any appearances for the Titans.
3) Khaleel Ahmed
Ahmed was expected to perform well in this year’s IPL, considering his impressive record of 16 wickets in 10 matches last year. However, the bowler has been inconsistent, picking up only three wickets in three games so far and conceding runs at a rate of 9.90. The Delhi Capitals are battling for form, having lost all five matches, and desperately need Ahmed to improve his performance and turn things around.