IPL 2021 was a tournament full of revelations involving young cricketing talent, and in the Royals camp where catalyzing the rookies is one of the main goals, we’ve experienced and celebrated the starts of some fantastic careers. This was a season that saw many players make their tournament debuts. While there were many overseas debuts for the Royals with us this season, the crop of young Indians stood out for us. It was they who came to the fore and made things happen at different stages of the season.
23-year-old Chetan Sakariya, who was bought by the Royals for INR 1.2 Crores in the auction this year, made his IPL debut in our very first game of the season and hasn’t looked back since. Setbacks in his personal life did not stop him -- facing everything with a golden smile, he made it to the big stage and once he was in the pink jersey, he made it count. He went on to play all 14 league matches for RR while also making his international debut, in July, ahead of the UAE leg.
In his maiden IPL season, Sakariya claimed 14 wickets- the joint second highest for RR- with an economy of 8.2 which was the best amongst the top 5 wicket-takers in the camp.
Most Wickets for Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2021
Sakariya’s 14 wickets also put him fourth among uncapped bowlers in IPL 2021 just below the three emerging talents in death overs bowling.
Most Wickets by Uncapped Players – IPL 2021
From Mustafizur Rahman’s cutters to RCB pacer Harshal Patel’s slower wicket-taking deliveries, this IPL season relied greatly on the variation of pace. Among the bowlers who rely majorly on the slower deliveries, Sakariya has left a major mark with 6 wickets of his 95 slower deliveries- comprising 30.4% of his total deliveries bowled- with an impressive economy of 6.9.
Highest no. of Slower Deliveries – IPL 2021
Another big revelation for the Royals was the rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal who was backed because of his sheer talent and determination for his batting. The 19-year-old, who burst onto the big stage after an impressive show at the U-19 World Cup, was signed by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2020. After a forgettable first season in the IPL, wherein he played three matches and managed to score only 40 at a strike rate of 90, the youngster showcased what he is capable of in the second leg of IPL 2021.
Yashasvi, who scored his maiden IPL fifty, was the third-highest scorer for RR this season with 249 runs while striking at 153. Moreover, among batters with at least 150 runs in the PP, Jaiswal had the 2nd best strike rate, only behind Delhi Capitals’ Prithvi Shaw.
Most Runs for Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2021
While he wasn’t in the starting XI in April, and only got 3 games in the first half, Yashavi worked hard ahead of the UAE leg to make the opportunity count for him. Come to today’s date, he emerged as the Powerplay hero- exactly what Rajasthan Royals needed in Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes’s absence. Yashasvi, along with Evin Lewis, formed a scintillating opening pair for the team producing some brilliant and unforgettable stands throughout the second half. The fact that RR’s 81/1 in the opening six overs against CSK was the highest Powerplay score for any team in IPL 2021 shows how well the two have fared.
Best Strike Rate in PP – IPL 2021 (min. 150 runs in the phase)
Besides, Yashasvi and Chetan who performed exceptionally for us and now have a fair bit of experience behind them - there are pacers Akash Singh and Kuldip Yadav who made their debuts towards the end of the league stage. After a season-long wait, the two pacers and wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat made their debut this season. As Chetan once said in an interview with us, “once I bowled my first delivery for RR, I never looked back”, hopefully, the career trajectory of the other youngsters move on a similar track for the greater good. With the mega auctions coming up, some may or may not stay back in the RR camp, but for what it’s worth their journey as Royals, the first push, will always be cherished.
