IPL 2024: Top 6 players who can win Emerging Player Award

After two months of constant entertainment, the night finally comes when the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 winner will be decided. The battle between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will fight hard to win that trophy for which they played cricket for two months straight. Now, the task isn't easy for anyone since both teams have tough players who can turn the tables on their own.

Talking about the players, some talented young players have emerged this season and have helped their teams win matches. The young assets of their teams deserve a prize for taking up the responsibility and standing up for their teams; hence, the 'Emerging Player Award' comes into play. 

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the Emerging Player Award, a player must meet all four of the following criteria:

1. be born after 1 April 1998
2. have played 5 or fewer Test matches or 20 or fewer ODIs
3. have played in 25 or less IPL matches (as of the start of the season)
4. have not previously won the Emerging Player Award.

Let's discuss the six players who are the IPL 2024 Emerging Player Award contenders:

6. Harshit Rana

KKR's newcomer of the season, Harshit Rana, gained popularity as soon as he entered the field for two things: the first was his bowling, and the second was his aggression. Both worked out in his favour as he went on to play in 12 matches and took 17 wickets. He was nothing less than a surprise packet for the batters who couldn't play him most of the time. He was an asset to the KKR's bowling department as he got the much-needed breakthroughs in the middle and death overs. Hence, he's a strong contender for winning the prestigious award. 

5. Nitish Reddy

SRH's Nitish Reddy came in late into the tournament, but once he got his first breakthrough, he hasn't stopped since. Against RR, he played a fantastic innings of 76 from 42 balls. In 12 matches, he has scored 290 runs at an average of 36.25. Apart from batting, he was a handy bowler and a brilliant fielder as well. He came in and got those crucial wickets when the team needed it the most. Throughout the IPL, he has improved with each game played and might as well have a great future in the upcoming years. 

4. Will Jacks

RCB's Will Jacks was a well-known figure before he played his first match for the team. He was quite famous for all his heroic innings for the English team. Hence, he wasn't a surprise for the bowlers. However, his IPL performance seemed to be much better after playing one or two games. In eight matches, he has scored 230 runs at an average of 32.86, including one brilliant century. Hitting a century in the debut season speaks a lot about the player, and Jack's innings proved he has much more potential than it's talked about. 

3. Abishek Porel

DC's Abishek Porel is another young, talented batter who has played incredibly in this tournament. In 14 matches, he scored 327 runs, with an average of 32.70. The way he carried DC's batting lineup was beyond appreciation. He was a very responsible batter who took the team's weight on his shoulders when most experienced batters failed to perform. With his performance, he has impressed the entire crowd and his team. 

2. Jake Fraser-McGurk

DC's Jake Fraser-McGurk has been the talk of the town ever since he has set foot on the ground. From his first match, he showed the entire country how brilliant he is and definitely added his name to the best 'Australians playing IPL.' He has scored 330 in just nine innings with an average of 36.67. His total strike rate is 234.04, which is beyond amazing. Jake's way of attacking the bowlers without any fear was the best part about his batting. He completely went and expressed himself, and most of the time, felt like he was hungry for more runs. Undoubtedly, he's one of the best contenders for this award. 

1. Sai Sudarshan

GT is lucky to have a young and responsible opener in their team, along with Shubman Gill, who likes to play great knocks and be remembered by everyone. Sudarshan's batting is absolutely neat and orthodox, which is eye-pleasing and enjoyed by the viewers very much. He has an incredible sense of judging the ball and hitting it hard, which has led to him scoring 527 runs in 12 innings. He's the best batter of the team after Gill and when they both bat, they become nightmares for the bowlers standing up against them.