How India’s domestic T20 drive is fuelling IPL 2025’s youth revolution

This edition of the IPL has already seen many firsts and the emergence of ‘uncapped’ players grabbing headlines is a reflection of the proliferation of T20 state leagues that have provided aspirational young men to impress IPL scouts. Teams like Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians are known to invest in talented youngsters and Suryavanshi, born after IPL began in 2008, seems to have found the right ‘home’.

In modern-day sports, especially cricket, there is constant talk of workload management. Jasprit Bumrah, a workhorse over the years, is a classic case where the injured pacer needed a long period of rehab to return to the Indian cricket team. While managing workload is essential for cricketers who wish to have a long career and serve state or country with noteworthy performances, a school of thought has emerged where cricketers are thinking otherwise. Circumstantial it surely is, young players are eyeing relatively shorter stints where the rewards and returns are exponentially higher.

If one analyses the number of ‘uncapped’ players who are grabbing the spotlight after winning lucrative contracts in IPL 2025, it is clear that state T20 leagues are giving youngsters the opportunity to rise and shine. Not so long ago, the Board of Control for Cricket in India was averse to giving states the freedom to host their own T20 competitions.

The reasons were many. While the ‘overkill’ factor loomed large, there were legitimate questions on the credibility of franchises, their ability to manage teams and offer a hygienic atmosphere conducive to clean cricket.

The success of TNPL, introduced in 2016, saw the introduction of more T20 state leagues. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Mumbai and Saurashtra all got the BCCI nod to stage their own tournaments. Today, there are at least 16 state cricket associations hosting their own leagues, effectively adding a tremendous amount of depth to the pool of T20 cricketers available throughout India.

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