Local heroes called up for IPL trials ahead of auction

With all Indian Premier League (IPL) teams currently conducting trials ahead of the mega-auction before IPL 2022, some young players from some less prominent places on India's cricketing map are getting a shot at glory. Some teams have called up as many as 100 players for the ongoing trials, selected from the pool of India's domestic cricket or age-group state teams.

Only a few of these promising cricketers will make it to the IPL auction pool, and even then teams might not decide to bid for them on the auction day, but there are big hopes riding on them.

READ | IPL 2022 Mega-Auction: Released Players XI

Like Odisha's 24-year-old batsman Subhranshu Senapati, the team's leading run-scorer in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy season, who has caused a flutter in Odisha by being invited for trials by CSK. Since his T20 debut for Odisha, he has racked up 637 runs at an average of 28.95 with three half-centuries.

Or Tripura youth Devaprasad Sinha, who is attending trial camp for IPL team RCB in Kanpur. The 25-year old six feet five inch all-rounder from Kailashahar, 156 kms away from Agartala city of Tripura, is trying to reach where no one from his state has before.

Also from the northeast, Himan Phukan has made history of sorts by becoming the first cricketer from Meghalaya to earn an IPL trial. Impressing the Mumbai Indians franchise with his performance at the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy T20, the 23-year-old was selected for the ongoing trials.

Kashmiri cricketers have made an influx into the IPL trial camps this year, on the heels of Abdul Samad and Umran Malik's recent success.

Waseem Bashir, from a village called Mamal in south Kashmir's Pahalgam area of district Anantnag, has said before that the selection of J&K cricketers in the IPL over the past few years have driven a hope and inspiration for the valley's cricketers. "One thinks if they made it to a bigger screen with their hard work and dedication, why can't others", he had told Rising Kashmir.

Bashir has been called for trials for KKR this year. KKR have also called J&K's Henan Malik for the trial session.

Mumbai Indians have at least three Kashmir cricketers at their camp - Nasir Lone, Abid Mushtaq and Auqib Nabi.

Nasir Lone, a 25-year-old all-rounder will also be attending the PBKS trial camp in Bangalore.

Abid Mushtaq, who has been called up by two IPL franchises - Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals - for trials, bowls left-arm spin and is capable of batting down the order. He has been performing constantly for J&K in all three formats fin recent seasons.

The IPL mega-auction is likely to be held in the first week of February, according to reports.