IPL 2019: A Look Into Each Team's Ace Player

IPL 2019 is almost here as the T20 league returns to action in April. IPL is a festival of sorts which gets the fans worldwide pretty excited for some cricketing action.

With legendary pairings, dream debuts, classic encounters and much more, the Indian Premier League is a spectacle which is witnessed and celebrated by cricket supporters every year.

What makes this league such a delight is the level of unpredictability associated with it, with all teams blessed with world-class potential

Modern-day cricket greats take part in this multi-billion dollar club tournament with the eyes of the cricket world tuned in to be part of this cricket festival.

Every squad possesses proven talents thus making the task of picking one player as the xce card a bit tricky.

But here we list the key player for each team in this year's edition of IPL.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli will be looking to help RCB win their maiden IPL title

Who else but the skipper, Virat Kohli. Kohli is the backbone of this Royal Challengers Bangalore side and the run-machine is capable of running the show all by himself.

There's no arguing about the fact that Kohli is one of the modern day greats of the game and has his place saved in the history books.

It is actually quite interesting that RCB haven't tasted IPL glory yet. The squad is however filled with champions and with Virat Kohli as their skipper, the team has it all to win the elite tournament.

Bengaluru fans hope that their skipper goes all out in the upcoming edition in his quest to land the first ever IPL trophy for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

If Kolhi hits the right form, the dream might come true this year!

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Delhi Capitals - Rishab Pant

Rishab Pant has been one of the finds of IPL

Last season's Emerging Player of the Season award winner, Rishab Panthad a roller coaster ride in 2018. The wicketkeeper-batsman had a tremendous season as he consistently scored gigantic individual totals and terrorised bowling attacks with his high octane batting skills.

Delhi Capitalshave a pretty decent side heading into the 2019 edition of IPL but their key man remains Rishab Pant who was the highest scoring batsman for the Delhi-based franchise in the previous edition.

Pant has the potential to wreak havoc and it's important for Delhi Capitals to have Pant in the best shape in order to challenge for the title this time around.

Kings XI Punjab - KL Rahul

KL Rahul will look shine once more in the Kings XI colours

Just like last season, KL Rahul will be the Kings XI Punjab's main man. All eyes will be on him whenever the Kings play and the opposition will be wary of Rahul because of his excellent outing last term in his debut season with the Kings XI Punjab.

Rahul was one of the top scorers of the season and was in contention for the Orange Cap throughout the season. Punjab had a flying start as they won their first four encounters pretty handsomely thanks to KL Rahul's scintillating form.

KL Rahul holds the card to Kings XI Punjab's chances of winning their first ever IPL trophy. What makes Rahul very dangerous is his ability to switch gears efficiently and all the bowlers will know that Rahul's wicket will be the most prized one.

Mumbai Indians - Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah has been one of the most efficient T20 bowlers

The game of T20 cricket doesn;t really favour the bowlers. The format of the game demands that runs be scored quickly and so the batsmen gain an upper hand.

But when the bowler being talked about is Jasprit Bumrah, then the story is a bit different. Bumrah has proved to be one of the best bowlers in the world when the shortest format of the game is concerned.

Last season was no different for Jasprit as he took 17 wickets and completed yet another successful season with the ball. What makes Bumrah stand out is his ability to control the economy as the Mumbai Indians' pacer hardly lets out easy runs.

If Mumbai Indians are to win the IPL trophy for a record fourth time, then they need Bumrah to be at his phenomenal best.

Kolkata Knight Riders- Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine has been with KKR since 2012

Sunil Narine is a West Indies international cricketer whose name well known by cricket followers around the globe. The spinner has a unique style and is undoubtedly one of the most lethal weapons in Kolkata Knight Riders' arsenal.

Narine, apart from being a world-class bowler, has found the art of batting pretty easy at Kolkata as the Caribbean has been opening the batting in KKR colours.

His batting style has been widely appreciated as the Caribbean is known to strike the ball quite sweetly. Narine has given KKR a flying start on many occasions and the West Indies international will once again start the season as KKR's go-to man.

With !PL 2019 approaching, there's absolutely no reason as to why Narine shall not be considered as KKR's key player because the West Indian can hurt the opposition in numerous ways.

Give him the ball or the bat, Narine can do wonders with both. Expect fireworks from him in the upcoming edition.

Rajasthan Royals - Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler has scored five 50s in his last 6 IPL matches

Last season didn't start out on a bright note for the Rajasthan Royals as the team often looked out of sorts and failed to discover their best lineup halfway into the tournament. Critics counted them out and nothing much was expected of them until they made a change, a change which later proved to be a masterstroke.

Royals promoted Jos Buttler to the top and the Englishman justified the decision with five consecutive 50s. Buttler played with flair and helped Royals climb to the top half and qualify for the playoffs.

It's no secret that Jos Buttler is one of the best and most destructive limited overs batsmen in the world and if Rajasthan are to make any serious impact this season, then they need the Englishman to fire on all cylinders and take the fight to the opposition with his attacking style of play.

Chennai Superkings - Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu is one of the most dependable batsmen in the CSK team

Chennai Superkings will once again start the season as favourites courtesy of their star-studded squad which is capable of beating almost anybody. CSK have been one of the most successful sides in the history of the IPL and ardent CSK fabs will once again hope that the men in yellow dominates the world's most followed T20 league.

Of all the talented players in their squad, there is one player who goes by the name of Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu is an unsung hero; a man who does the work without making much noise.

The former Mumbai Indians man was one of the star performers for CSK in 2018 as they lifted the trophy by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

Rayudu scored more than 600 runs in the tournament and was vying for the Orange Cap for the most part of the season.

CSK supporters will place their hope in Ambati Rayudu as their side looks to defend its title in 2019.

Sunrisers Hyderabad - Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan helped SRH reach the final last season

Probably the best T20 spinner in the world at the moment, Rashid Khan is a true gem. The Afghanistan national has been one of the star performers for Sunrisers Hyderabad ever since he signed for the franchise.

His skilful bowling accompanied by his slogging prowess is what makes Rashid such a valuable addition to the squad. The spin wizard from Afghanistan currently sits on top of the ICC T20 bowlers ranking.

The Afghan was at his mercurial best last season as he took 21 wickets to help SRH reach the finals of the tournament. This season shall be no different as the orange army will depend on Rashid to spearhead the SRH bowling attack.

What makes Rashid a genius of the game is his ability to control the tempo of the game and turn the tides in SRH's favour in a span of 1-2 overs. His modest economy rate accompanied by his ability to strike wickets at regular succession is what makes Rashid Khan a treat to watch.