Kolkata Knight Riders spinner, S. Iqbal Abdulla, has been named winner of the 2011 Citibank Rising Star Award for the best under-23 player in DLF IPL. Previous winners were wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami (2008), all-rounder Rohit Sharma (2009) and batsman Saurabh Tiwary (2010).
The young left-arm spinner, 21, was named the best young player of IPL-4 ahead of contenders including Indian World Cupper Virat Kohli and former India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Iqbal ended the season with 16 wickets at 19.06 and an economy rate of 6.1.
Sanjeev Kapur, Chief Marketing Officer, Citi India presented Iqbal Abdulla with the trophy and cheque. The youngster said: “It is a great honour to receive the award and be recognized for my performance so early on in my career. I am grateful to the jury members who have held me worthy of this award. I hope to perform even better in the future.”
IPL Chairman, Chirayu Amin, said: “Talent meets opportunity in this league. Iqbal Abdulla has taken full advantage of playing with and against the world's best to show his potential. We congratulate him on an outstanding season. He is a role model for many young cricketers.”
Citi India CMO, Sanjeev Kapur, said, “Our association with IPL goes much beyond brand-building. With this award, we hope to encourage young cricketing talent in the IPL. Our young players are full of promise, talent and the way they are putting in their efforts, it indicates a bright future for the game.”
He added: “We are delighted to recognize Iqbal Abdulla as the Citibank Rising Star this season, who is truly deserving of the award. We hope that he will make both his country and his fans across the globe proud in the years to come.”
