Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

6 contenders for Emerging Player of the Season in IPL 2021 | 6 players who could win the Emerging Player of the Season Award in 2021

Since its inception, the Emerging Player of the season award is given to one youngster each season who showcases his potential to be a future star of the game on the big stage in the IPL. As with any other award, there is an eligibility criteria that players need to fit into. The eligibility criteria is the player should:

• Be born after 1 April 1994
• Have 5 or less Test matches or 20 or less ODIs
• Have played in 25 or less IPL matches (as of the start of the season)
• Not previously have won the Emerging Player Award

According to the above criteria, the previous winners of the award have gone onto achieve phenomenal success on the international scene. Here is a list of previous winners of Emerging Player of the Season award:

In the 2021 IPL Season, there is some serious talent on display and here we will look at six contenders for the Emerging Player of the Season award:

Ruturaj Gaikwad

This 24-year-old opening bat who hails from the city of Pune in Maharashtra is now a regular at the top for CSK. We got a glimpse of him in the 6 matches he played for the franchise in 2020 and scored at an average of 51. He is definitely one to look out for in the remainder of the 2021 as CSK look to go back to their old winning ways, in which Ruturaj Gaikwad will play a key role at the top.

Adbul Samad

Sunrisers Hyderabad need to bat Samad higher up the order, especially if the situation demands it. Born in the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, Samad got his gig in the IPL after impressing the SRH selectors at the trials in 2020. Although he batted lower down the order for SRH, Samad’s strike rate in 2020 was an impressive 170. He is known to score quick runs with big hits and he already has some of the best bowlers in the world on his six-hitting list.

Chetan Sakariya

This guy has certainly been through a lot. His character is outstanding. Chetan Sakariya, who was superb in the Indian domestic T20 competition earlier in 2021, has made a superb start to IPL 2021. His ability to swing the ball from the left-arm angle gives the Rajasthan Royals another dimension in their quest for the playoffs. If he continues the way he’s started, he is certainly a chance for the Emerging Player of the Season award.

Jhye Richardson

One of the costliest buys in the IPL 2021 auction with a price tag of US$1.86 million, Jhye Richardson was certainly the biggest attraction of the 2021 auction. His stellar performances in the Big Bash 20-21 earned him a contract with Punjab Kings and the franchise will bank on him to put in the performances and justify the price tag.

Shahrukh Khan

The namesake of the biggest global Bollywood star, Shahrukh Khan has been impressive in the Tamil Nadu Premier League for a couple of seasons, and also impressed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 20-21. After putting in consistent performances he was snatched up by Punjab Kings in the 2021 auction. After rescuing his state side Tamil Nadu in Quarter Finals, Shahrukh Khan will be looking to continue to impress with his performances in the IPL. He has made a promising start.

Arshdeep Singh

The lesser-known player from the 2018 Under-19 World Cup winning Indian team which consisted of players like Shubhman Gill, Shivam Mavi and Prithvi Shaw. This tall left-arm fast medium bowler has been making steady performances in the domestic competitions. He made an excellent start to the IPL 2021 season, holding his nerve against a brilliant Sanju Samson. He will be aiming to guide his franchise Punjab Kings to their first Title and also snatch the Emerging Player of the Season award on the way.

Written by Nash Sant. Follow Nash on Twitter today.