All three players were involved in the UP T20 League 2025 final.
Since the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season, there has been a huge chat around franchises’ talent scouts, who found some hidden gems of the last season. Lesser-known players like Priyansh Arya, Vignesh Puthur, Vipraj Nigam, and Aniket Verma set the stage on fire when given a chance and earned huge praise from the cricketing fraternity. Many of you must have been wondering, ‘Where do these players come from, and how did these franchises select these youngsters despite not having played much for their state teams?’
As the IPL is getting tougher and tougher with every season, franchises are not just targeting superstars but also doing a great job in finding talented youngsters to bolster their squad. And that’s where these state leagues, including the UP T20 League, are playing a crucial role by providing a stage for unknown cricketers. The players are also looking at it as an opportunity to break into the world’s biggest franchise cricket league – the Indian Premier League.
Previously, players like Sameer Rizvi, Rinku Singh, and Swastik Chikara went out of their skin in the UP T20 League and earned an IPL contract. Now all eyes will be on three players, Karan Sharma, Kartik Tyagi, and Shivam Mavi, who are aiming to start their second stint in the IPL after failing to leave their mark earlier in their careers.
Karan Sharma earned his maiden IPL contract at the age of 24, when he was roped in by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2022 mega auction and even got his debut cap. In the lone innings, Karan managed just four runs, which came with a boundary. Next season, the right-hand batter scored just 12 runs in two matches, with the best score of nine. As a result, he was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024. His IPL snub was followed by very modest 2023 and 2024 domestic seasons.
However, the 26-year-old has now bounced back stronger, showing stupendous form in the UPT20 League ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled later this year. He has been a consistent performer throughout the season, finishing as the leading run-getter of the season. The Kashi Rudras captain scored 519 runs off just 12 innings at a staggering average of 47.18 and an impressive strike rate of 152.65.
Earlier this year, the right-hand batter smashed an unbeaten 118 and took a wicket in the Ranji Trophy match against Bihar in Patna. With the 2025-26 domestic season around the corner, Karan would hope for his best-ever year to knock on the doors of talent scouts of IPL franchises.
Kartik Tyagi was once considered India’s future across all formats. He came into the limelight during the 2020 U19 World Cup, where he impressed everyone with his high pace and took 11 wickets in just six games, averaging 13.90 and 3.45 rpo. The right-arm pacer was one of the few reserve options during India’s tour to Australia for the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was probably just one more injury away from getting a Test cap in the Gabba Test.
On the IPL front, the pacer was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a whopping INR 1.30 crore in 2020. In 2021, he left Punjab Kings (PBKS) stunned, defending four runs of the final over against the likes of Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, and Odean Smith. Next year, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a jaw-dropping INR 4 crore, hinting at becoming a mainstay for the national side. But Tyagi slowly and steadily fell in the pecking order following three underwhelming seasons on the trot, going unsold in last year’s mega auction.
However, the right-arm pacer has bolstered his case with a strong outing in the recently concluded UPT20 League 2025. The 24-year-old has taken 18 wickets in just 11 matches for Meerut Mavericks, averaging 16.9 and an economy rate of 8.06. He wouldn’t just hope to get an IPL contract with this performance but must be aiming to represent his state in a bid to India comeback. The pacer last represented his state across formats in January 2024 during a Ranji Trophy match between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He is yet to play for India.
As the cricketers of his breed, who can bowl at 150 km/h regularly, are very rare in India, Kartik Tyagi might see a bidding war at the auction if he continues to impress everyone with his disciplined bowling.
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Another pacer, who showcased a lot of promise at regular intervals but couldn’t provide consistency, is Shivam Mavi. He comes from a batch of players, including team India regulars Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill, Riyan Parag, and Prithvi Shaw, who have played together in the U19 World Cup 2018.
Mavi’s biggest concern has always been recurring injuries that don’t allow him to play regularly. He made his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2018 and has played only 32 matches till 2022. He watched IPL 2023 unfold from the Gujarat Titans’ bench, despite being a hefty INR 6 crore pick. The UP all-rounder played six matches in T20I cricket for India in 2023, where he took seven wickets, averaging 17.27 and a strike rate of 8.78. Then a side strain, followed by a rib stress fracture, kept him away from cricket for a long time.
Henceforth, the 26-year-old was eventually dropped from the BCCI’s targeted pool of players later that year. In 2024, LSG picked him at the auction for INR 6.4 crore, but the pacer pulled out due to injury during a fitness test just before the season. Notably, Mavi hasn’t played the entire season even once.
In March 2025, Mavi regained his full fitness and bowled in the net sessions that went unnoticed as LSG didn’t pick him as an injury replacement for Mohsin Khan despite him being available. However, he later joined LSG as a net bowler.
“Obviously IPL franchises may have taken note of my back-to-back injuries,” Mavi told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of the UP T20 League, where he represented Kashi Rudras. “Maybe they thought this guy is way too injury-prone and may be a risky auction pick. But, during the season, LSG called me [for trials] only because they saw I was fully fit and performing. My focus was simple: do what I could control, and if I got the chance, play as much as possible and perform.”
However, the 26-year-old pacer has now left everything behind and is writing a new chapter in his career. Mavi has now worked on his actions but has not compromised with pace and bowled at 140 km/h consistently. He looked in rhythm, bowled with discipline and used his variations exceptionally well, emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the UP T20 League 2025. He ended the season with 22 wickets in just 10 matches, averaging an impressive 14.27. The right-hand batter has also amassed 94 runs in the tournament, striking at a stupendous 223.81, the highest for a player with five-plus innings.
His improved form, courtesy of new action, and recent performance could earn him a state comeback or potential IPL contract. However, Mavi will have to prove his worth again to break into the Indian team after a couple of years.
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