Emerging Player Award Winners: The Best of IPL’s Rising Stars (2008-2026)

Well, to clinch the coveted Emerging Player award has been nothing short of a dream for a majority of young cricketers out there in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inaugural edition in 2008. As per the guidelines laid by the BCCI, a cricketer must have played fewer than five test matches, 20 One-Day Internationals and 25 IPL matches in order to be eligible to claim the prestigious honor.

Ever since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been witness to numerous iconic young cricketers who have gone a step ahead, displayed their finest potential and dominated even the most seasoned players of the league in their initial seasons, garnering immense fame and recognition from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world. Have you ever wondered about all the cricketers who have been honored with the prestigious Emerging Player award in their glorious IPL careers as of April 2026? Well, let’s find out.

In this article we will take a look at all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026.

Emerging Player Award Winners: The Best of IPL’s Rising Stars (2008-2026)

• Shreevats Goswami, Royal Challengers Bengaluru – IPL 2008 

The 36-year-old Indian professional cricketer Sreevats Goswami is at the first spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008. Widely regarded as one of the most prolific batters of his generation, Shreevats Goswami etched his name in the glorious history of the Indian Premier League and clinched the first-ever Emerging Player award in the inaugural 2008 edition for scoring a record total of 82 runs in seven matches that he played throughout the tournament.

• Rohit Sharma, Deccan Chargers – IPL 2009

At the second spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026, we have the legendary Indian international cricketer Rohit Sharma, who is often hailed as one of the most prominent cricketers in the history of the Indian Premier League. Rohit Sharma made his star-studded debut for the Deccan Chargers and claimed the coveted Emerging Player award in his debut 2019 season for amassing a brilliant total of 362 runs in sixteen matches that he played for the Deccan Chargers.

• Saurabh Tiwary, Mumbai Indians – IPL 2010

Next, at the third spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026, we have the Indian former cricket sensation Saurabh Tiwary who was part of the Indian squad that won the 2010 Asia Cup and the 2008 U19 World Cup. Saurabh Tiwary dominated the IPL 2010 edition with his unmatched batting exploits and scored a formidable total of 419 runs in just sixteen matches that he played for the Mumbai Indians throughout the edition at a blistering average of 30 and a phenomenal strike rate of 135, announcing his path-breaking arrival in style.

• Iqbal Abdulla, Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2011

At the fourth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026, we have another prominent Indian cricketer, Iqbal Abdulla who currently plays for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, and used to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Iqbal Abdulla unleashed his finest batting potential in the IPL 2011 edition while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and picked up a spine-chilling total of 16 wickets in sixteen matches that he played throughout the IPL 2011 edition at an economy rate of 6.1 and the best bowling figures of 4/21, earning the coveted honor.

• Mandeep Singh, Kings XI Punjab – IPL 2012

Now, at the fifth spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008, we have the legendary Indian professional cricketer Mandeep Singh, who plays for Punjab in the top-flight of Indian cricket and has also been one of the most path-breaking cricketers in the history of the Indian Premier League during his initial days of cricketing career. The trailblazing vice-captain of the India under-19 cricket team for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, Mandeep Singh ruled the IPL 2012 edition while playing for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and scored a total of 432 runs at an average of 27 in a total of sixteen matches that he played throughout the tournament.

• Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2013

Next, at the sixth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026, we have the iconic Indian international cricketer Sanju Samson, who plays for the India national cricket team in the ODI and T20I formats and was part of the 2024 and 2026 T20 world cup winning teams. Sanju Samson displayed his unmatched batting wrath throughout the IPL 2013 edition while playing for the Rajasthan Royals and scored a phenomenal total of 206 runs in a total of eleven matches that he played throughout the season at a blistering average of 25.

• Axar Patel, Kings XI Punjab –  IPL 2014

At the seventh spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008, we have another trailblazing Indian international cricketer, Axar Patel, who was part of the Indian teams that clinched the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Axar Patel delivered the finest bowling knocks of his career in the IPL 2014 edition while playing for the Kings XI Punjab and picked up a record total of 17 wickets in a total of seventeen matches that he played throughout the tournament at an economy rate of 6.2, earning the prestigious honor at the end of the IPL 2014 edition.

• Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Daredevils – IPL 2015

The iconic Indian international cricketer, Shreyas Iyer, who also represents Mumbai in domestic cricket and captains the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is at the eighth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026. Iyer reigned supreme in his debut IPL season with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and scored a spine-chilling total of 439 runs in just 14 matches with his fearless strokeplay and consistent batting throughout the tournament. Although Delhi Daredevils witnessed one of the toughest times in the IPL 2015 edition, Shreyas Iyer grabbed enormous attention from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world.

• Mustafizur Rahman, Sunrisers Hyderabad- IPL 2016

At the tenth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026, we have the iconic Bangladeshi international cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, who is often hailed as one of the most prolific bowlers of his generation owing to his lethal “slow-cutters”. Mustafizur Rahman delivered numerous annihilating bowling spells throughout the IPL 2016 edition and picked up a spine-chilling total of seventeen wickets in sixteen matches that he played throughout the tournament for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise and was honored with the coveted Emerging Player award at the end of the season.

• Basil Thampi, Gujarat Lions – IPL 2017

Often regarded as one of the most lethal bowlers of his generation, the Indian professional cricketer Basil Thampi is at the eleventh spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008. With his lethal yorkers and mystery spinners, Thampi picked up a record total of eleven wickets in just twelve matches that he played throughout the IPL 2017 edition with the best bowling figures of 4/29 and a blistering economy rate of 9.0, earning the prestigious honor at the end of the IPL 2017 edition.

• Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals – IPL 2018

The 20-year-old Indian professional cricketer Rishabh Pant, who had already dominated the arena of domestic cricket with his fearless batting and accurate wicket-keeping skills, entered the arena of the Indian Premier League in the 2018 edition and established himself as one of the most popular stars of the league right in his debut season. Rishabh Pant played a record of fourteen matches throughout the IPL 2018 edition for the Delhi Capitals and amassed a spine-chilling total of 684 runs at a blistering average of 52 and a phenomenal strike rate of 173. Owing to his dominant batting performances throughout the IPL 2018 edition, Pant was honored with the coveted Emerging Player of the season award.

• Shubhman Gill, Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2019

Often hailed as one of the most prominent and reliable batsmen for the Indian side, Shubhman Gill is at the thirteenth spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008. Although Shubhman Gill wasn’t one of the greatest and most dominant batsmen in the IPL 2019 season, he undoubtedly proved himself to be one of the consistent ones. While playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise, Shubhman Gill played a record total of fourteen matches throughout the IPL 2019 edition and scored a phenomenal total of 296 runs, garnering immense praise from the hardcore IPL fans from all over the world.

• Devdutt Padikklal, Royal Challengers Bengaluru – IPL 2020 

Well, the IPL 2020 edition undoubtedly marked the arrival of a technically gifted and highly consistent young opener—Devdutt Padikkal, who has established himself as one of the most popular players in the history of T20 cricket and has grabbed enormous attention from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world owing to his dominant exploits. Devdutt Padikklal represented the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2020 edition and scored a commanding total of 463 runs off just 15 matches that he played throughout the tournament, earning the prestigious honor and undivided attention from the fans of the Indian Premier League.

• Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chennai Super Kings – IPL 2021

The legendary Indian international cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad, who captained the Indian team that won the gold medal in the 2022 Asian Games, is at the fifteenth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026. Ruturaj Gaikwad witnessed one of the most successful seasons of the Indian Premier League of his career in 2021 and successfully smashed a record total of 635 runs in just sixteen matches that he played throughout the tournament at a blistering average of 45, including a century and a half-ton. Owing to his dominant batting exploits, Ruturaj Gaikwad was also honored with the Emerging Player award in the IPL 2021 season.

• Umran Malik, Sunrisers Hyderabad – IPL 2022

Well, the Indian professional cricketer Umran Malik established himself as one of the most prominent bowlers of the IPL 2022 edition while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise and garnered enormous fame and recognition from millions of cricket aficionados from every nook and corner of the world. Umran Malik played a total of fourteen matches throughout the IPL 2022 edition and picked up a spine-chilling total of 22 wickets at the best bowling figures of 5/25, establishing himself as one of the most lethal bowlers of the season and was also honored with the coveted award.

• Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2023 

Well, the IPL 2023 edition undoubtedly proved to be a breakthrough season for the Indian international cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal who was still struggling to hit the spotlight. Throughout the IPL 2023 edition, Yashasvi Jaiswal played a total of thirteen matches for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise and scored a commanding total of 625 runs at a blistering average of 48 and a phenomenal strike rate of 163, garnering immense attention from millions of cricket aficionados from every nook and corner of the world. Owing to his dominant batting exploits, Jaiswal was honored with the prestigious award.

• Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sunrisers Hyderabad – IPL 2024

The 22-year-old Indian international cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy who plays for the India national team in all three formats as an all-rounder is at the eighteenth spot on our list of all the cricketers who have won the Emerging Player award in the IPL since its inception in 2008. Nitish Kumar Reddy played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise in the IPL 2024 edition and garnered immense appreciation from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world for his explosive batting exploits. Throughout the IPL 2024 edition, Nitish Kumar Reddy played a record total of thirteen matches and scored a phenomenal total of 303 runs earning the prestigious award.

• Sai Sudarshan, Gujarat Titans- IPL 2025

Finally, at the nineteenth spot on our list of all the young cricketers who have claimed the Emerging Player award as of April 2026 we have the 24-year-old Indian international cricketer Sai Sudarshan who represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket and Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. The trailblazing batsman Sai Sudarshan dominated even the most seasoned bowlers throughout the IPL 2025 edition and amassed a spine-chilling total of 527 runs establishing himself as one of the greatest flag bearers of the Gujarat Titans (GT) franchise in the IPL 2025 edition.