Deepak Hooda:
He also become an early contender for the Indian Premier League's ‘Emerging Player of the Season' award after good hands for Rajasthan Royals. The last of these was a Man of the Match performance against Delhi Daredevils April 12 which gave Rajasthan a thrilling three-wicket win off the final ball of the match.
Hooda had bowled well to concede only 20 runs in four overs in Delhi's 184 for 3, but his batting lit up the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. He made a sparkling 54 off just 25 balls, having come in at 78 for 4 in the 11th over.
Hooda, who was a key part of the India Under-19 side in the past season, said that while playing in the Pepsi IPL 2015 was a step up, he had been blessed to have good people around him whose advice he could rely on.
Hooda's big hitting was a feature in age-group cricket too, and he explained his knock against Delhi saying that after a few singles initially, he found himself in a good space. “I started by taking singles, but then I started sighting the ball really well and I was just batting on instinct – without trying, the bat was moving automatically.
If these three young men are any indication of the kind of talent India has on offer, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly will breathe easy knowing their legacy will be carried forward by the coming generation. It is, of course, far too early to tell whether these three batsmen will indeed go on to shine for India, but if they succeed in maintaining consistency, a lot can be expected in the years to come.
