Year-on-year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) produces some incredibly talented youngsters for the future of Indian cricket. New names come on the market every year, as they make it big through the IPL. The BCCI recognizes and acknowledges such talent by giving out an award.
“The Emerging Player of the Year” award is one such award given to the youngster who has outperformed others over the entirety of the IPL season.
The award has had some reverend recipients in the past. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishab Pant have been recognized with the feat. The only overseas player to have ever won the award is Mustafizur Rehman. Young superstars Umran Malik and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the most recent winners of the coveted prize.
Let's look at the possible winners of “The Emerging Player Of The Year” award in the 2023 season.
What is the eligibility criteria to win IPL Emerging Player of the Year?
The four major criteria for a player to qualify for winning the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award are:
- The player must have been born after 1st April 1997.
- The player should not have more than 25 IPL appearances at the start of IPL 2023.
- The player should not have played more than 20 ODIs and 5 Test Matches.
- Past recipients do not stand a chance to win the award.
Who are the favourite to win IPL Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2023?
1) Yashasvi Jaiswal
The southpaw is on his way to winning the Emerging Player of the Season award. The fans and critics have been astonished by the way he has been batting this season. With less than 25 matches at the start of the current IPL Season, Yashasvi makes a good case of himself for the prestigious award. He has scored 428 runs in nine innings, with a healthy average of 48. He also has a century to his name.
2) Tilak Varma
Another left-handed batter on the list is Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma. Varma had a stellar season last year and was the only ray of light in what was a rare blemish of a season for the Mumbai Indians. He has started this season with the same aura. Tilak has scored 274 runs in 9 matches in IPL 2023.
3) Mayank Markande
IPL 2023 has seen the resurgence of Mayank Markande. Once a superstar for Mumbai Indians, Mayank has found his way back to the biggest stage through Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 25-year-old has picked up 11 wickets in 7 matches this season. Even though Hyderabad is struggling to find form, Markande has been top-notch with his bowling.
4) Ayush Badoni
Like Tilak Varma, The Lucknow Super Giants youngster rose to prominence in the IPL 2022. Badoni has scored 191 runs in 9 matches this season, with a high score of 59 runs against CSK. Badoni has played some quickfire knocks, enabling the team to reach totals over 200. The 23-year-old had only 13 IPL appearances before 2023 to his name, and so holds a good chance of winning the award.
5) Joshua Little
The GT youngster is into his maiden IPL season. He has picked up five wickets in 7 matches, but do not let stats fool you. The 23-year-old Irishman has provided breakthroughs at crucial junctures for his team. He has bowled under pressure with immense calmness. If he keeps performing the same way, he deserves to be in contention for the award.
