The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season, which is scheduled to begin from March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, will see several players making their debut in the tournament. The cash-rich league provides a platform for players to shine and over the years has seen many success stories of debutants. Other than international stars like Dewald Brevis and Odean Smith, there will be other cricketers from India's victorious U-19 Cricket World Cup team who will be hoping to make their mark.
Here is a list of three debutants who could steal the show in IPL 2022:
1. Raj Bawa: Having received the Man of the Match award for his five-wicket haul in the U-19 World Cup final, Bawa was in fantastic form during the tournament. Purchased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 2 crore, he registered 252 runs during the U-19 World Cup and also hammered a century. Also a medium pacer, he went on to bag nine wickets in six matches.
2. Odean Smith: Purchased by PBKS for Rs 6 crore, Smith caught everyone's attention for his performance in the recent India vs West Indies limited overs matches. A bowler who can make things happen, the West Indies cricketer is also a lower-order batter, with good power-hitting skills.
3. Dewald Brevis: Having showcased his fine batting skills in this year's U-19 World Cup, Brevis smashed two centuries and three half-centuries for South Africa, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer. Nicknamed 'Baby AB' due to similarity in batting style with the legendary AB de Villiers, he was bought by Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 3 crore in the mega auction.