IPL announced the list of 405 players for the upcoming mini-auction which is scheduled to take place on December 23 in Kochi.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini-auction is slated to take place in Kochi on December 23. Out of the 991 cricketers who initially signed up for the premier league, 405 are scheduled to be auctioned off.
In the upcoming auction, there are a number of players on the list whose names will be put up for bid who are at polar opposites of the age spectrum. The list includes players of varying ages, levels of experience, and skill sets.
By playing with the more seasoned players in the franchise, many young players will be looking to get their chances and acquire experience. Undoubtedly, many franchises will keep an eye on these young players who might have a chance to advance in the auction.
Here we look at five youngest player in the IPL auction.
1. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar – 15 years
Allah Mohammad, who is 15 years old, is the youngest player to feature in the IPL auction. The young player has set a base price of INR 20 lakh for franchises interested in signing him for the upcoming season.
He has participated in three games of Afghanistan's Shpageeza Cricket League. Ghazanfar took five wickets during the games, with his best bowling stats coming while playing for the Mis Ainak Knights (4/15).
2. Dinesh Bana – 18 years
The wicketkeeper-batter contributed to India's U19 team winning the title. Dinesh was supposed to participate in the IPL 2022 mega-auction, but he couldn't since he hadn't participated in at least one First-Class or List A game.
He represented Haryana in the SMAT, thus he has some experience playing in the shortest format. In the same competition, against Jammu & Kashmir, he had his greatest innings, scoring 43 runs, including five fours and a maximum.
3. Sakib Hussain – 18 years
In the upcoming mini-auction, the 18-year-old youngster who represented Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) has placed his name up for grabs. This year, Sakib participated in two SMAT matches and recorded outstanding bowling statistics against Gujarat (4/20).
The medium pacer's ability to add length and speed variations could aid his team in making breakthroughs. The bowler might be a fascinating addition to any team because he has experience with the T20 format.
4. Kumar Kushagra – 18 years
Kumar Kushagra made history earlier this year when he became the youngest batter in first-class cricket to hit a score of 250 or more. In just seven First Class innings, the wicketkeeper-batter has racked up a staggering 439 runs at an impressive average of 62.71.
His performances in the shortest format, however, have fallen short of the batter's potential. He could only manage to score 21 runs for the Jharkhand team in his two T20 innings this year.
5. Shaik Rasheed – 18 years
When the cricketer from Andhra Pradesh was selected as the backup for the ICC Men's India U19 World Cup 2022 team, he attracted considerable attention. Rasheed was also a member of the team that won the ACC U19 Asia Cup in 2021.
He also had a significant impact on the Asian competition's semifinal by scoring an important knock of 90* off 108 deliveries against Bangladesh. He also contributed to the team's success by scoring the match-winning 31* runs in the summit match to secure the title.