Rookie spinner Rathi gives Lucknow the winning boost

T20 leagues across the country seem to have become the best hunting ground for young talent, and many players have upgraded their skills to play a winning hand for their IPL sides.

- Sharad Deep

LUCKNOW: For instance, batter Sameer Rizvi was bought by CSK for a hefty ₹8.4 crore after his exceptional performance in the maiden UP T20 League in 2023.

This was the case with young spin bowling all-rounders Vipraj Nigam and Zeeshan Ansari too, the two having made their presence felt with some fine performances for DC and SRH respectively this season.

Many more performers from the regional leagues may make their mark this season going forward. One new face in this talent pool from the regional T20 leagues is mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi. He was first spotted at the Delhi Premier League while playing for South Delhi SuperStarz after he took 14 wickets in 10 matches, finishing as the second highest wicket-taker among spinners.

Rathi, who was bought by LSG for 30 lakh in the mega auction late last year, is LSG's new spin hero, whose bowling figures of 4-0-21-1 (eco 5.25) in a thrilling 12-run win over the five-time champions MI here on Friday night has made him the darling of the side. None of the other LSG bowlers had an economy rate of under 10, which puts Rathi's performance in perspective.