As the die-hard cricket fans, we all know that the Indian Premier League, or IPL, is one of the most exciting and popular cricket leagues in the world. The IPL is a twenty-over cricket league comprised of a number of teams that compete for the IPL trophy each season. Last season, i.e. in the 14th season, 8 teams competed, and during this season, a total of 10 teams are competing for the trophy. The inclusion of two new teams into the action has made the cricket action ecstatic like never before.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most important leagues where many young players are discovered and given the chance to showcase their skills and talent to the rest of the world, paving the way for their selection into national teams. So, in this blog post, we will look at the top five youngest players who scored 50 runs in the IPL and made a name for themselves in the process.
1. Riyan Parag (17 Years and 175 days):
Riyan Parag is one of the best finishers for the Rajasthan Royals team this IPL season. Riyan Parag is originally from Assam and plays for the same team in domestic cricket. He is an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls leg break, and at the age of 16, he had already won a World Cup medal. After successful stints in both the World Cup and domestic cricket, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in 2019. In the knocks he played, he demonstrated that, despite his inexperience, he has the temperament to play in the IPL and could be groomed well for the future in the first season.
In his match against Delhi, he hit his first half-century, scoring 50 off 49 balls at a strike rate of 102, and was the sole warrior, helping Rajasthan post a total of 116, but Delhi won by 5 wickets in 16.1 overs, and the record remains unbeaten.
2. Sanju Samson (18 Years 169 days):
Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson is a fine wicket-keeper batsman and the current captain of the Rajasthan Royals, who are doing very well in this season of the IPL. He is from Kerala and played such exciting first-class cricket that he was selected by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 but did not play a single game. The following season, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals, and his consistent performance has led him to where he is now, where he is one of the franchise’s key assets.
He scored his first fifty against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where they posted 171 runs and Samson held the fort in the innings and smashed 63 off 41 balls with a blistering knock consisting of 7 fours and 2 sixes and helped the Royals cross the victory line with one ball remaining. This fifty was fired when he was just 18 years and 169 days old and launched him into the spotlight.
3. Prithvi Shaw (18 Years 189 days):
Prithvi Shaw is now a prominent and aggressive opener for the Delhi Capitals, providing a perfect start to the team on the powerplay with his superb shot selection and perfect ball placement. Prithvi Shaw is a right-handed opening batsman from Maharashtra who currently plays for the Delhi team in the Indian Premier League. At the age of 14, he made his mark in the cricketing world by scoring 546 runs off 330 balls in the Harris Shield tournament.
He was signed by Delhi for 1.2 crores in 2018 after impressing selectors with 245 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 156. At the age of 18 years and 189 days, he scored 22 runs off 10 balls in his first IPL match and his first half-century in the second match against Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 62 off 44 balls at a strike rate of 140.91.
4. Rishabh Pant (18 Years and 212 days):
Rishabh Pant, the current captain of the Delhi Capitals, is one of Indian cricket’s most prominent and upcoming stars, known for his aggressive shot selection and impressive performances in the IPL and Australia Test series. Rishabh Pant was born in Haridwar and began his domestic cricket career with Delhi. He is a left-handed wicket-keeper batsman who made his international debut in the u19 World Cup with a special knock of 75 runs off 24 balls. Following that, he was drafted by the Delhi Daredevils and has since made his spot permanent through his performances.
Rishabh Pant hit his first half-century against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the age of just 18 years and 212 days, smashing 57 runs off 36 balls with three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 158.33, and almost single-handedly brought the team back into contention, but couldn’t help it cross the victory line, and Delhi was defeated by 15 runs.
5. Ishan Kishan (18 Years 299 days):
Ishan Kishan, nicknamed “Pocket Dynamo” by fans and teammates, is the most expensive player this season, having been signed by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping 15.25 crores.
Ishan Kishan is a Jharkhand-born left-handed wicket-keeper batsman who led India’s Under-19 team to a runner-up finish in the World Cup finals against Bangladesh.
Ishan Kishan was purchased by Gujarat Lions in the 2016 auction for a price of 35 lakh after his attacking approach in domestic cricket piqued the team’s interest. However, he had a disastrous season with the team and was dropped by the Mumbai Indians in 2018, after which he was recognised by world cricket for his attacking approach. He hit his first fifty for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 61 in just 40 balls at a strike rate of 152.50 and assisting the Mumbai team to a 4-wicket victory. He was only 18 years and 299 days old when he hit his first fifty.
This IPL season is thrilling and full of exciting matches; let’s see if anyone breaks these records.
