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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a tournament that cricket fans all around the world look forward to with eagerness and hope. The previous season of this lucrative T20 tournament saw the Chennai Super Kings returning from a two-year hiatus and setting the records straight by going on to win the tournament. IPL 2019 is just around the corner and the stage is set for another season of power packed performances with both bat and ball.
The twelfth edition of the IPL kicks off at Chepauk, Chennai on March 23. The defending champions CSK will be hosting their neighbors, the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener of IPL 12. The tournament starts slightly earlier this year in order to give the players enough time to gear up for the world cup that starts on May 30 in England.
A whopping ₹106.8 crore was spent on 60 players in the IPL 2019 players auction and all 8 franchises look well balanced on paper. A number of cricketers from all around the world throw their names in the hat for the auction each year and only a small fraction of them get picked by the franchises. 1003 players, including 232 overseas players signed up for the auction this year and only a meager 60 players went under the gavel.
As always, there are a number of fresh faces in the 8 squads this year. Some players might not get a lot of game time in the tournament but gain priceless experience instead, by sharing the dressing room with the biggest names in the game. Here are five exciting players who will be making their debut in IPL 2019, most of whom are also featuring in their first ever IPL.
#1 Shimron Hetmyer (RCB)
Shimron Hetmyer is a 22-year-old left-handed batsman from Guyana who has made a number of heads turn with his swashbuckling batting prowess in the CPL. After a fierce bidding war between four franchises, RCB swooped in in the last minute to secure his contract for ₹4.20 crore in the players' auction.
Hetmyer has represented West Indies in 11 T20 internationals and has a healthy strike rate of 140. The batting friendly wicket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will do his game a world of good. Already featuring the likes of Virat Kohli and AB De Villers in their ranks, the addition of Hetmyer will cause all sorts of problems for the bowlers in the opposition.
The West Indian youngster will be hoping to make a mark for his franchise in IPL 2019. Watch out for him as he could hit the ball into Cubbon Park on his day!
#2 Ashton Turner (RR)
The Rajasthan Royals completed one of the biggest steals of the IPL 2019 players auction when they snapped up Ashton Turner for a paltry ₹50 lakh. A bowling economy of 6.97 and a batting strike rate of 138.72 together are things of folklore in the shortest format of the game and the Western Australian will be keen to make a mark in the IPL this year.
Turner was at his best in the recently concluded India-Australia ODI series. He smashed an unbeaten 84 off 43 balls in the Mohali ODI and helped Australia chase down a record 359 with two overs to spare.
Turner will add weight to the Rajasthan middle order with the bat in hand and chip in with a few economical overs of spin. He might have to wait for his turn to shine though, in a team that also features the likes of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Steve Smith. The tall all-rounder might prove to be the dark horse of IPL 12 so keep an eye out for him!
#3 Nicholas Pooran (KXIP)
Nicholas Pooran is an exciting wicket-keeper batsman from the Caribbean islands who was picked up by Kings XI Punjab in the IPL auction 2019. He was a part of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2017 but did not feature in a single game. Pooran has a commendable strike rate of 143.76 in the 20 over format of the game and times the ball with the typical elegance of a left-handed batsman.
The youngster has hit a rich vein of form in the build-up to the lucrative T20 tournament. He represented Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League and registered scores of 41 (26), 52*(32) and 76*(31). He might have to play second fiddle to Lokesh Rahul but is sure to take any opportunity that comes his way with open arms. It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if he sets IPL 2019 on fire with his batting prowess.
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#4 Anrich Nortje (KKR)
Anrich Nortje is a young South African fast bowler who was snapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders at his base price of ₹20 lakh. He made his debut for South Africa in the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka and picked up 6 wickets in three matches.
The talented paceman has a clean, rhythmic bowling action and has the potential to follow in the footsteps of South African legends Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock. Nortje caught the attention of KKR coach Jacques Kallis through his stellar performances in the Mzansi Super League.
A bowling average of 13.73 and an economy of 6.47 are extraordinary in T20 cricket and Nortje will look to do well in IPL 2019 in order to cement his place in the South African team.
#5 Jonny Bairstow (SRH)
This man needs no introduction, does he? It's baffling that Jonny Bairstow has gone unsold in previous editions of the IPL players auction. The talismanic English wicket-keeper batsman was roped in by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹2.20 Crore after a brief bidding war with KXIP.
The Englishman has a more than decent strike rate of 130 in the twenty over format of the game and could play a vital role in the SRH middle order. He has a good wicket-keeping record - 61 catches and 10 stumpings in 99 games in this format of the game.
With Wriddiman Saha also in the team, it remains to be seen as to who will keep wickets for SRH this season. Bairstow will be looking to make a mark in his maiden IPL and the shorter boundaries in the subcontinent could very well work to his favor.
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