6 players who shone at World T20 and will shine at the IPL

It is amazing how each IPL starts in the aftermath of some major tournament and people think, ah, it would just lead to exhaustion and audience burn-out. And yet, each season the IPL proves everyone wrong, with an ‘I told you, so’ goofy grin.

The World T20 has just been completed and we can be rest assured that the carnival is just getting hotter, brighter and livelier. The monochromatic uniforms will be out as teams will be garbed in multi-coloured jerseys of their franchises playing with players who were rivals just a few days ago.

Amidst all this, there is almost an air of anticipation over who will do well and who will just blow the IPL away. Some players finished the World T20 in red hot form and will continue to do so for their franchises. Well, at least that is the expectation considering it will be unfathomable that someone could lose his form within a span of a week.

Here, we will look at a few players who had sensational World Cups and are expected to be the torchbearers for their teams. Samuel Badree who did brilliantly at the WT20 didn’t make it to the list as it is still not sure if he will recover from his shoulder injury in time to play for RCB.

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Virat Kohli

The blue-eyed boy of the Indian cricket team ended World T20 as Man of the Series despite India not making it to the Final. The Indian Test team skipper won two matches for India all on his own, turning possible defeats into emphatic victories against high quality bowling sides like Australia and Pakistan.

He even managed to top-score in the semi-final against West Indies but he couldn’t pull it off one last time – after all, he was batting first and there was only so much in his hand when batting first. Probably a little let down by his bowlers, Virat, who finished WT20 with 273 runs, second highest, at an average of 136.5 and a strike-rate of 146.77 with 3 half-centuries, won’t be short of motivation.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, despite having a great team has never won the IPL and that will egg the ferocious skipper on. Given he has some real super-stars in his team, it will be unbelievable if RCB don’t end up this year as one of the last two or three teams standing.

Shane Watson

Bought for a whopping 9.5 crores by RCB, Shane Watson will have a new team this year after a long stint with Rajasthan Royals. The man who hung up his boots at the end of the WT20 in all forms of international cricket for his team, will surely feel fresh and more enthusiastic.

Being the talented Watson was never easy but finally he will be able to relax and while doing so, he can still help Virat win the elusive IPL. Watson had a reasonably good WT20, with 96 runs in 4 innings in which he was dismissed only twice.

He also picked up 5 wickets including an important role against India in a do-or-die match. Watson has all the skills needed for the IPL. He can bowl smart and economical overs and can thrash the living daylights of the ball. He seems to be in good nick and with the big decision now out of the way, he can be a real asset for RCB.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler was one of the few Englishmen who found favour with the IPL teams. He was bought by Mumbai Indians for a reasonably good 3.8 crore rupees. Buttler finished the WT20 as the fifth highest run-getter with 191 runs although his highest knock was only of 66*.

With 2 not-outs, he had an average of 47.75 and a strike-rate of 159.16. A decent wicket-keeper, Buttler will probably play all the matches and will like the Wankhede surface which during the WT20 was an excellent batting track.

Buttler’s pyrotechnics down the order has won the England team many a match and the fact that there is some pace and bounce on the track will suit him in the home games. He is expected to win at least a couple of games for MI with his hitting down the order, something that MI have struggled with in the last couple of seasons despite owning Kieron Pollard.

That Buttler is a keeper as well, gives MI more leg-room when picking the team.

Carlos Brathwaite

His WT20 numbers don’t matter. 57 runs with the bat and 4 wickets with the ball don’t tell the story. However, if his performance in the Final is anything to go by, Brathwaite is the real deal. He is what Pollard was a few years ago, with a sensational knock that gave Trinidad and Tobago a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Brathwaite went one step further doing it for his country and that too in the World Cup Final. His 34 off just 10 balls was sensational and the 4 sixes to win the World Cup with his team needing 19 off the last over, is definitely the cricketing moment of the year and will be for the rest of the year.

Brathwaite also had a great day with the ball, picking up 3 wickets with his medium pace – those of Joe Root, Jos Buttler and David Willey. Delhi Daredevils, one of the most under-performing teams of the IPL, picked him up for 4.2 crore rupees and he may be instrumental in turning the fortunes of the franchise around.

It will help that he will have the mentorship of none other than Rahul Dravid.

Shakib Al Hasan

For a very long time, Shakib Al Hasan was Bangladesh’s best player. He still probably is and his contributions at the WT20 show why he is rated highly.

Shakib scored 129 runs at an average of 32 and a strike-rate of 126.5. He also picked up 10 wickets in 7 games with an economy rate of 7.21.

The all-rounder who generally doesn’t play every game for KKR is likely to contribute down the order with the bat and is preferred on slow surfaces.

Surprise package: Mustafizur Rahman

Injury concerns aside, Rahman can be one of the best picks of the year. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 1.4 crore rupees. The only Bangladesh player bought in this year’s IPL auction, Mustafizur had a brilliant WT20 picking 9 wickets in just 3 matches, including a five-wicket haul, one of only two in the tournament.

Mustafizur is known for his vicious cutters that are delivered without any change in action and flummox the very best of batsmen. He is used to playing on slow surfaces and hence will know how to adapt to the Indian pitches.