The primary reason why the famed Indian Premier League is called a goldmine of talent is because of the lesser-known gems that have come out of the league to become stars. IPL’s “Emerging Player Award” winners list has seen some of the world-class cricketers coming to the fore, who have excelled in the T20 franchise league to later dominate all formats of the game at international level.
To become eligible for the “IPL Emerging Player Award” of a season, one must be born after April 1, 1996, and not play more than 25 IPL games before the start of that season. Any player, who has previously won the award and has 20 ODIs and 5 Tests under his belt, isn’t eligible for this award as well.
IPL Emerging Player Award Winners: Full List
| IPL Edition | Emerging Player | Team |
| 2008 | Shreevats Goswami | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2009 | Rohit Sharma | Deccan Chargers |
| 2010 | Saurabh Tiwary | Mumbai Indians |
| 2011 | Iqbal Abdulla | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2012 | Mandeep Singh | Kings XI Punjab |
| 2013 | Sanju Samson | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2014 | Axar Patel | Kings XI Punjab |
| 2015 | Shreyas Iyer | Delhi Daredevils |
| 2016 | Mustafizur Rahman | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2017 | Basil Thampi | Gujarat Lions |
| 2018 | Rishabh Pant | Delhi Capitals |
| 2019 | Shubman Gill | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2020 | Devdutt Padikka | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2021 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2022 | Umran Malik | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2023 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals |
While the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer and others have gone on to become regular fixtures in their respective nation’s playing XI after having won this award, the following three names have easily been the best talents to come out of the Indian Premier League.
Top 3 list of Best-Emerging players from IPL
Rohit Sharma
The second Indian player to win the IPL Emerging Award, Rohit Sharma is the personification of the IPL slogan “Where talent meets opportunity”. Playing for a star-studded Deccan Chargers team, Sharma had tallied 362 runs and taken 11 wickets to win the award in 2009. An all-rounder then, Sharma had already debuted in Tests, ODIs and T20Is before that season, which explained his shine amidst the likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds, Scott Stris and Adam Gilchrist.
Having lifted the IPL trophy with DC, Sharma moved to Mumbai Indians in 2011 and became their captain two years later. Since 2013, the superstar has led MI to five IPL titles. His exceptional displays for the national team over the years eventually made him the captain of Team India as well, as he succeeded Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma is India’s highest run scorer in ODI World Cups, has the highest individual score in ODIs and has hit more sixes than anyone in international cricket.
Rishabh Pant
Yet another unconventional, natural talent who became a household name since his breakout season in IPL 2018 was Rishabh Pant. The timid stature of the southpaw is the perfect facade for the wreckage Pant can cause with his willow. Playing for Delhi Capitals, Pant went on to tally a mammoth 684 runs in 14 games, scoring five fifties and a century in the process. While DC finished last in the table that season, Pant’s display earned him Test and ODI call-up following his blistering display.
Though Pant’s rise came in the white ball, it was in the red ball that he cemented a place of his own. In 33 Tests so far, Pant has tallied 2271 runs with an average of 43.67, having scored five centuries. Pant’s heroics in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy made him an overnight sensation and he has since been a regular in the Indian team. He has become the captain of the Delhi Capitals as well.
Shubman Gill
The biggest talent to come out of IPL since Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly Shubman Gill. First glimpses of his ability were seen during the 2018 U-19 World Cup, following which Gill made his IPL debut with Kolkata Knight Riders and won the “IPL Emerging Player” award in just his second season with KKR. Though the opener could tally just 296 runs in 14 games, which had three fifties, his talent was very evident. Gill would reach the IPL 2021 final with KKR forging a brilliant comeback post-COVID alongside Venkatesh Iyer, before going on to lift the title with Gujarat Titans in 2022. Gill ended as the highest run-scorer in the most recent IPL edition (2023) with 890 runs.
Gill’s talent has transcended the T20 league and he has now become an ODI sensation in just three years, since making his debut in 2020. He averages a whopping 61.02 in the 50-over format currently, with six centuries and a double century already at the age of 24 years old. His impeccable technique and ability to play fast bowling make him India’s prime candidate for Tests as well.
For Mor Info you may also read about IPL Teams with Most Players in 2023 World Cup India Squad
