The Indian Premier League unearths new talents every year and this year is expected to be no different. The 10 franchises took part in the mega auction last month and strengthened their squads further. Many new Indian names have been added to the squad, and some of them are expected to get regular playing time in the upcoming IPL season as well. Here, we shall take a look at five such newcomers who have the potential to light up IPL 2023 with their performances.
Manoj Bhandage
The Karnataka all-rounder is a lower-order power hitter and a decent medium-pace bowler. Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up Bhandage in the IPL 2023 auction for his base price of INR 20 Lakhs, and he is expected to get significant gametime during the season.
Bhandage scored 73 runs while batting at No.6 and 7 mostly during the Syed Mushtaq Ali 2022/23 season, at an outstanding strike-rate of 173.80. That includes a breathtaking 25 from just nine deliveries in a high-scoring chase against Punjab in the quarterfinals. He claimed just one wicket in the tournament but did a great job with the ball in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, picking up five wickets at an economy rate of 4.61. He is expected to slot into RCB's batting line-up at No.7, and could also bowl a couple of overs every match.
Vidwath Kaverappa
The Karnataka pacer finished as the second highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 season. Kaverappa claimed 18 wickets at an excellent average of 10.72, and then followed that up with yet another brilliant Vijay Hazare Trophseason. He pickedng up 17 wickets at 13.17 runs a piece.
Surprisingly, there wasn't much interest in him in the auction. This allowed Punjab Kings to walk away with a bargain as they picked him up at his base price of INR 20 lakhs. We may see them using Kaverappa extensively during the IPL 2023 season as an impact player with the ball.
Avinash Singh
The 25-year-old fast bowler from Jammu & Kashmir is yet to play cricket at the professional level but his demand in the IPL 2023 auction summed up how talented he is. RCB and KKR engaged in a bidding war to acquire the services of the pacer, and it was RCB that finally bought him for INR 60 Lakhs.
RCB's Hinterland scouting played a pivotal role in identifying Avinash. Apart from having strong physical stature, he is capable of bowling at a pace of over 145 km/hr. That makes Avinash a highly sought after asset, and RCB could unleash him as an impact player in this IPL season.
Sanvir Singh
The Punjab all-rounder made headlines in the last domestic season as he fired for Punjab with both bat and ball. Sanvir amassed 119 runs during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, at a mind-boggling average of 59.50 and strike-rate of 205.17.
He also claimed two wickets, but his best bowling returns came in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 3.72. He also scored 156 runs at an average of 52 on top of that. A lot of interest was expected for Sanvir in the IPL 202auction. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad was the only team that bid for him, picking him at his base price of INR 20 Lakhs.
Ayush Badoni
The 23-year-old all-rounder from Delhi made headlines last season as he featured regularly for the Lucknow Super Giants, who made it to the Playoffs right in their first season. Badoni played a crucial role in the lower middle-order for Delhi, amassing 161 runs over the course of the season, including a defining 41-ball knock of 54 against the Gujarat Titans.
Badoni walked in to bat at 29/4 in that match and built a crucial stand of 87 runs for the fifth wicket with Deepak Hooda. The Super Giants still ended up losing the match, but Badoni's knock gave his team a fighting chance. He kept showing his talent with valuable cameos throughout the season and he is expected to do the same once again in IPL 2023.