Top game-changing batsmen in each team at this year's IPL

When it comes to the shorter formats of the game, it’s evident from the tournaments like IPL that batsmen become the dominators. The bowlers become the victim of some of the batsmen who have been famous for belting the ball across the boundary.These batsmen are known for their aggressive cricket and irrespective of the situation, they play their shots. They change the balance of the match within few deliveries to bring their team into a commanding position.Following are such big hitters from each team of the IPL 2015:

#1 Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina (CSK)

Brendon McCullum: He showed the courage to hit the ball across the boundary right from the 1^st ball in the World Cup recently. He scored at an astounding strike rate of 188 which includes the fastest 50 in the tournament’s history.

He will be expected to continue in the same fashion in the IPL as well.

Suresh Raina: Dhoni has always been reliant on a player like Suresh Raina in the slog overs. Raina proved his worth in the recent World Cup with two match-winning knocks against Pakistan and Zimbabwe respectively.

Raina is the most experienced player in the IPL with 111 innings and has scored 3325 runs (at a strike rate of 142) which is the most by any player. He has bailed out his team from many difficult situations and this time too, he will be a vital cog in their line-up.

IPL stats:

Brendon McCullum: inns-62, runs-1642, SR-123, sixes-67, fours-149

Suresh Raina: inns-111, runs-3325, SR-142, sixes-134, fours-290

#2 Chris Gayle and AB deVilliers (RCB)

Chris Gayle:

The ground looks smaller when Chris Gayle stands at the crease and starts bashing the leather across the boundary. He has rocked the IPL ever since he joined RCB in 2011. He holds the following records in the IPL,

• Most no. of Sixes-192
• Most no. of Sixes in an innings-17
• Highest score in an inning-175*
• Fastest century- in 30 balls

AB De Villiers:

The title ‘Mr. 360 degree’ is well deserved for AB de Villiers as he hits the ball in every corner of the ground with immense power and timing. He led his team to the semi-final of the 2015 WC with some stupendous innings including a fastest 150 in the ODIs. He has the fastest century against his name too which he scored against the West Indies in mere 31 balls.

RCB will be hoping to clinch their maiden IPL title with the presence such an astonishing player in the team.

IPL stats:

Chris Gayle: inns-67, runs-2708, SR-154.65, sixes-192, fours-223AB DeVilliers: inns-79, runs-2056, SR-138.73, sixes-81, fours-158

#3 Glenn Maxwell and Virender Sehwag (Kings XI Punjab)

Glenn Maxwell:

The ‘big show’, Glenn Maxwell stormed the last IPL edition with some incessant slog hitting. He piled on 552 runs with a strike rate of 187 which helped Kings XI Punjab reach the final.

The owners of the team would be happy to see his form in the recent World Cup as he scored the fastest World Cup century by an Australian. ‘’See ball hit ball’’ approach has made him one of the nightmarish batsmen for the bowlers. He becomes more dangerous to the spinners with his unconventional reverse sweeps.

Virender Sehwag

At the age of 36, Sehwag doesn’t look too old for the shortest format of Cricket. He recently has proved this in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2014-15 scoring a whirlwind fifty that included 7 fours and 5 sixes.

He is one of the best openers to smash the ball to the boundary in the powerplays. It will be a feast for the spectators to watch the fearless Sehwag again after he has been left out of the Indian team for quite sometime now.

IPL stats:

Glenn Maxwell: inns-21, runs-594, SR-178.92, sixes-40, fours-49

Virender Sehwag: inns-96, runs-2629, SR-157.33, sixes-103, fours-322

#4 Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Kieron Pollard:

He has been one of the pillars for the Mumbai Indians team since the 2010 edition of the IPL. With his belligerent hitting abilities, he will hold an important role in his team’s success in the upcoming tournament.

Pollard’s all-round performance helped Mumbai Indians lift their maiden IPL trophy in 2013. He scored 420 runs with a strike rate around 150 and picked up 10 wickets in the 18 matches he played in that tournament.

Rohit Sharma:

Known as ‘Hitman’, Rohit has the amazing skills to time the ball and strike it across the boundary. Once he settles on the pitch, there is no better hitter of the ball than him. He is the only player to score two double centuries in the ODIs and that knock of 264 that he scored against Sri Lanka has been the highest by any player in ODIs.

IPL Stats:

Kieron Pollard: inns-77, runs-1333, SR-144.42, sixes-81, fours-92

Rohit Sharma: inns-108, runs-2903, SR-129.26, sixes-126, fours-233

#5 Yuvraj Singh and JP Duminy (Delhi DareDevils)

Yuvraj Singh:

It may seem a big gamble by the Delhi Daredevils to pick Yuvraj Singh for 16 crores looking at his recent ODI and T20 records. But, he has proved himself with three back to back centuries in the recent Ranji trophy matches and a quickfire 59 runs in the domestic T20 game against Haryana.

Yuvraj’s ability to hit big sixes on his will makes him the most vital player of the team. He has vowed to make a comeback to the Indian team with some powerful performances in this IPL.

JP Duminy:

Duminy is one of the best all-rounders in limited overs Cricket, but predominantly known for his batting. He can turn on the heat whenever he wants to as we have seen it from him in the past.

Duminy scored 410 runs at a healthy average of 51.25 and with a whopping strike rate of 134 last season. He has been given the responsibility of leading the team this year.

IPL stats:

Yuvraj Singh: inns-82, runs-1851, SR-131, sixes-110, fours-129

JP Duminy: inns-52, runs-1388, SR-123.38, sixes-55, fours-88

#6 Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa (KKR)

Yusuf Pathan:

He owns the fastest fifty of the IPL which he scored in a crucial match against SRH in IPL 2014 to help KKR to get the second place in the points table. Before Gayle overlapped, he had held the record for the fastest century in IPL too.

Yusuf had played a pivotal role for the Rajasthan Royals to become the IPL champions in the first edition. Though he hasn’t been consistent since he has joined KKR, he will be eager to get back into the rhythm.

Robin Uthappa:

Robin Uthappa is an aggressive batsman who can bail out the team from very difficult situations. He can play his shots all-around the ground with perfection to disturb the line and length of the bowlers.

KKR rode on Uthappa’s excellent batting to win their second IPL title in the last edition. He scored 660 runs to win the orange cap and also overtook Mathew Hayden’s record of ten 40+ scores in a single season.

IPL Stats:

Yusuf Pathan: inns-97, runs-2088, SR-148.93, sixes-115, fours-168

Robin Uthappa: inns-102, runs-2632, SR-127.21, sixes-89, fours-254

#7 David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

David Warner:

David Warner is one of those batsmen for whom the pitch or the bowler’s name becomes irrelevant when he starts exploding. Currently, Sunrisers Hyderabad have appointed him as the captain of the team.

He scored 528 runs with an average of 48 in the last edition of the IPL. Despite this, Sunrisers couldn’t do well.

Warner has to lead from the front yet again for the team to have any chance of going all the way.

Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the prolific batsmen in the shorter formats. He showed brilliant form in the recent World Cup and was one of the leading run-scorers.

He has been one of the best left-handed batsmen for India since he has debuted. The field restrictions do not matter for him as he goes berzerk if it is his day. With no more responsibility of being the skipper, he can once again freely express himself this season

IPL stats:

David Warner: inns-69, runs-1963, SR-135.1, sixes-81, fours-186

Shikhar Dhawan: inns-81, runs-2228, SR-121.68, sixes-48, fours-252

#8 Shane Watson and James Faulkner (Rajasthan Royals)

Shane Watson:

Despite his recent poor form, Shane Watson is one of the most dangerous players ever in this format. He is one of the players who has scored above 2000 runs in the IPL and has always delivered consistently for the Rajasthan Royals.

He is the most experienced player in the side and will play a crucial role as an aggressive batsman.

James Faulkner:

James Faulkner is equally skillful as a batsman and bowler and his finishing abilities is the one to look out for this season. He is an incredible finisher who can handle the nerve-wracking moments to get his team comfortable wins.

He scored 21 runs in only 12 balls against India in the Semi final of the World Cup 2015, which helped Australia to put a 320+ target on the board.

IPL stats:

Shane Watson: inns-67, runs-2025, SR-142.41, sixes-95, fours-199

James Faulkner: inns-23, runs-252, SR-153.66, sixes-18, fours-13