One of T20 format’s most popular outputs, the Indian Premier League, a two month long extravaganza of cricket, has been in place for nine years now. The tournament has changed colors every year, more so after 2011, when new teams started to be introduced.
The annual affair made it possible for fans to watch their superstars, former and current, ply their trade for their franchises. A lot has changed since the initial year, yet there are a few players who have been going strong, season after season, and have made the tournament their own (from 2008-2016):
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s international career has run simultaneously with his exploits in the Indian Premier League, and stellar performances with the Deccan Chargers, and then the Mumbai Indians, helped him cement his place in the national side. Elegant and wristy, he started off as a scrawny 20 year old, and has come a long way to in becoming the dependable batsman that he is at the top of the order for India.old, and has come a long way to in becoming the dependable batsman that he is at the top of the order for India.wristy, he started off as a scrawny 20 year old, and has come a long way to in becoming the dependable batsman that he is at the top of the order for India.20 year old, and has come a long way to in becoming the dependable batsman that he is at the top of the order for India.
Like Raina, Sharma has also amassed more than 350 runs in each season. He started off with the Deccan Chargers, where he played the first three seasons and won the title in 2009, and then shifted to Mumbai, where he has led the batting after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar.
This year, he couldn’t take Mumbai to the playoffs, but had a good season with the bat, ending with 489 runs from 14 matches, at an average of 44.45 and with five half centuries in his kitty. He also scored a century for MI, against KXIP in 2012.
Gautam Gambhir
The left hander from Delhi formed a deadly pair with Virender Sehwag at the top of the order for Delhi, started off with as many as five half centuries in the inaugural season, and ending with 534 runs at an average of 41. He had a pale couple of seasons in 2009 and 2010, but things changed drastically in 2011, when he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders amid a lot of changes, and made the captain as well. Since then, he has been a rock at the top of the order, scoring at least 300 runs every year while opening, and consistently giving Kolkata starts, in the company of Robin Uthappa.
He has led his franchise to two titles, a major improvement from their previous performances. This season, in 14 matches, he has scored 473 runs, with as many as five half centuries.
David Warner
The Australian batsman has grown from strength to strength since debuting for Australia as a 22-year old with no prior experience of playing first class cricket. Since then, he has scored more than 20 international hundreds, and is the vice-captain of the national side in all three formats. He started playing for the Delhi Daredevils in 2009, and continued till 2013, hitting a century in the 2010 and 2012 editions.
Since joining Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, his form has skyrocketed, with more than 500 runs in each format. Overall, he has more than 3000 IPL runs in a shade under 100 matches, and has 30 half centuries to his name.
Virat Kohli
Kohli has been in breathtaking form this year, achieving unprecedented heights in the limited overs format and taking the national side within inches of a second World T20 title. However, his form refused to drop further, and he became more belligerent in the IPL, scoring as many as four centuries, and spearheading a phenomenal run which saw Royal Challengers Bangalore reach the playoffs when few gave them chance midway through the season.
Kohli, although not in the same measure, as been consistenty fairing well for the Bangalore franchise since starting for them as a 19-year old in the inaugural season itself. For a young player finding his feet in the international circuit, Kohli’s first year was a drab one, but since 2011, when the responsibility of vice-captaincy, and subsequently captaincy, fell on his shoulders, Kohli transformed himself tremendously to become one of the bigwigs of the tournament.
Suresh Raina
The southpaw, who has been a regular in the Indian limited overs format, and has also captained the side, has been one of the most consistent performers in the IPL. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, the batsman had already played three years of international cricket before he became part of the Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural season. From there, he grew from strength to strength, building his game and making it more dependable and versatile.
He has scored over 350 runs in every season, scoring at least a fifty in each, and also hitting a century against the KXIP in the 2013 season. Next year, he almost pulled off an improbable chase of 227 against KXIP again, when he scored a whirlwing 87 off just 25 balls. He also missed his century by two runs in 2009, when his 98 single-handedly helped CSK overcome Rajasthan Royals.
MS Dhoni
India’s limited overs captain has managed at least one half century in each of the IPL seasons, has maintained an average of around 40, not a mean feat considering he generally comes late to bat. He has more than 3000 runs compiled over all seasons, at a strike rate that is close to 140. He has led his former franchise, the Chennai Super Kings, to two titles, coming up with brazen cameos in the latter part of the innings, and many a times past the finishing line in chases.
2013 was the best year for him as a batsman, when he scored 461 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of over 160, with four half-centuries. He has also taken 66 catches, and effected 27 stumpings.
Shane Watson
Watson’s roller coaster career was brought on the right track with a successful stint for the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season, when he scored as many as 472 runs and picked 17 wickets. Till the last season, he had scored more than 240 runs each year, and had taken atleast six wickets.
This year, he changed franchises for the first time, and was shifted down the order, considering the batting firepower at the top. He didn’t disappoint with the ball though, taking 16 wickets from 14 group games and leading a bowling attack that looked tooth-less to start with.
2013 was another watershed year for him, when he scored 543 runs, including a century, and took 13 wickets from 16 matches at an ecomony of just over 7.
Dwayne Bravo
The West Indian, who made his international debut way back in 2004, has been a valuable middle order batsman and bowler for his side, but turned a new leaf in his career when he was contracted by the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural season of the IPL, where he took 11 wickets each in the first two seasons. He switched sides in 2011, moving to the Chennai Superkings for his second stint, and was a revelation with the ball in the middle overs. He played a full season in 2012 and picked up 15 wickets, but was lethal the next year, picking as many as 32 wickets. He was back in his elements in 2015 as well, snaring 26 victims, and had taken a further 15 wickets in the group stages of this year’s IPL.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Primarily an off-break bowler, Ashwin is known for his canny variations with the ball, both old and new. He played just two matches in the 2009 season, but was Dhoni’s go-to man for Chennai Super Kings the next year onwards, opening the bowling and stemming the run-flow in the Powerplays and picking up wickets in the process. Since 2010, he has picked up at least 10 wickets in every season, and has a 100 wickets overall, at a miserly economy of 6.55.Due to his effectiveness with the new ball, he was picked up from the national side as well, and quickly became the primary spinner in all three formats.
Piyush Chawla
In a career that started at a relatively young age, Piyush Chawla has not been able to use his talent to become a mainstay in the Indian bowling line-up, but has been a consistent wicket taker in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders. Initially part of the Punjab franchise, he was acquired by Kolkata for a whopping 4.2 crores in 2014. Overall, in 123 matches, he has picked up 120 wickets at an economy of 7.5.
He has picked up atleast 11 wickets in each of the seasons since 2008, and has picked up two four-wicket hauls as well.
Lasith Malinga
The right arm bowler with one of the most unique actions in International cricket has made the IPL his own, with as many as 143 wickets in total from 98 matches. Since starting in 2009, he has been very consistent with both the old and new ball, mixing his regular deliveries with yorkers and slower bouncers. He started off with 18 wickets from 13 matches, and has followed an upward trend thereafter. Injuries slowed him down but never stopped him, as he took more than 20 wickets in as many as four seasons.
He took Mumbai to within reach of the title in 2010, and was the highest wicket taker (Purple Cap holder) in 2011. He couldn’t play this year due to a knee injury.
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