As always with the Indian Premier League, it’s not all only about the big guns – IPL 2020 will have its share of youngsters vying to emulate, if not upstage, the superstars.

IPL history is replete with stories of youngsters making it big. Mumbai Indians unearthed Jasprit Bumrah, and look at him now. Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya are other examples from Mumbai Indians. Chennai Super Kings gave a young R Ashwin the platform to go big in the early years of the IPL, and there are plenty of others who have taken a similar route to the international stage.

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All that in mind, we at Wisden India sat down to make our picks for the youngsters who can potentially stand out at IPL 2020.

IPL 2020 Young Players – Devdutt Padikkal, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

Know Your Challengers ft. @devdpd07

At 20 years old, he’s already making waves in domestic cricket. A player with incredible talent, ability and confidence. Today’s episode features a 🌟 in the making, Devdutt Padikkal! 🔥 #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/mh9I0PIRjC

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 1, 2020

The parochial Bangalorean in me is delighted by the likely presence of a Karnataka boy at the top of the order for RCB. As a cricket enthusiast, I’m eager for the fluent drives and strong pull shots that this tall, left-hander promises. Padikkal topped the runs charts in the 50-over and 20-over domestic tournaments in the 2019/20 season, accumulating 1,838 runs from 33 matches across formats – a strong IPL will make it a perfect breakout year. At least he won’t be warming the benches this season for RCB, who retained the uncapped youngster. Karunya Keshav, Wisden India editor-at-large

IPL 2020 Young Players – Ravi Bishnoi, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)

[caption id=”attachment_129579″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] Ravi Bishnoi starred for India at the Under-19 World Cup 2020[/caption]

There’s something about Ravi Bishnoi. All those who watched him at the Under-19 World Cup 2020 came away feeling they’d watched a star in the making. Bishnoi was the top wicket-taker at the tournament, with his canny leg-spin far too good for the level of batsmen at the tournament. His fielding, too, was impeccable, and there’s a reason why KXIP shelled out INR 2 crore for the boy who turned 20 just earlier this month. In the spin-friendly pitches in UAE, he could be particularly effective. But what makes IPL 2020 particularly enticing for him is, he’ll be playing under the tutelage of India’s greatest ever spinner – Anil Kumble. The potential is immaculate. Manoj Narayan, Wisden India editor

IPL 2020 Young Players – Kartik Tyagi, Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Tuesday’s @Nissan Play of the Day was this brilliant yorker from Kartik Tyagi 👌 #U19CWC | #FutureStars pic.twitter.com/CMIabyQKRE

— ICC (@ICC) January 29, 2020

Young tearaway quicks are precious in Indian cricket, and Tyagi is the latest to enter that bracket. A first-class debut three years ago went largely unnoticed, but he markedly stood out at the Under-19 World Cup 2020, bowling with aplomb, and maturity that looked years ahead of his contemporaries. The loping run-up, the compact, flowing action, and most importantly, the lively pace that makes the ball hustle through narrow corridors, not to mention his deceptive yorkers … all of it adds up to form an exciting young prospect. Rajasthan Royals (RR) have always been the bellwether of promoting rookie talent in IPL, and Tyagi will likely have a fair run to showcase his gifts in the UAE. Aadya Sharma, Wisden India staff writer

IPL 2020 Young Players – Tom Banton, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

[caption id=”attachment_137286″ align=”alignnone” width=”1024″] Tom Banton has already starred for the England national team[/caption]

There’s already a lot of hype around Tom Banton, and understandably so. The 21-year-old has already played nine T20Is for England, scoring at a strike-rate of 143.35. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2019/20 T20 Blast, with 549 runs at a strike-rate of 161.47. He impressed in the BBL too.

He possesses in his arsenal some audacious shots – a hockey-style reverse-swat being one – and is exactly the sort of batsman that can catch the eye of the IPL fans instantly. However, with Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan and Pat Cummins all seemingly un-droppable, Banton will need to make the most of the chance he gets, when it eventually comes. Sankalp Srivastava, Wisden India staff writer