CPL 2016: 5 Indian cricketers who could have been big stars if they played

It is undoubtedly the era of T20 leagues around the world, with almost all cricket playing nations currently having their own T20 league. The success of the IPL, and the growth in popularity of the shortest format of the game, coupled with the commercial success of it has given birth to such leagues. And thus, it is time for another, this time in the Caribbeans, for the fourth edition of the Caribbean Premier League. Last year, it was the turn of Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, led by all rounder Dwayne Bravo to lift the trophy after they beat Barbados Tridents in the final.

Read: FULL SCHEDULE of the Carribean Premier League, FULL CONFIRMED SQUADS for CPL 2016

This year, 6 teams will battle it out to lay their hands on the CPL trophy. Getting underway on the 30th of June, the CPL will see six matches of the group stages being played at the Lauderhill Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Also read: Details about the CPL’s USA stop in Florida

While many West Indian players are bonafide stars in the Indian Premier League, with each team having their own superstar, the reverse does not hold true, as no Indian will line up for any of the teams in the CPL. This is due to the fact that the BCCI does not allow Indians to participate in the CPL according to by-laws in the contract the players sign. While, BCCI may relax on these rules in the future, we have to be content with the plethora of talent that the 6 teams in the CPL currently have and mull over what could have been, had the Indian superstars lined up alongside these stars.

With that being said, we sat down to list 5 Indian cricketers who could have been huge stars in the CPL:

Virat Kohli

No such discussion at this point of time can go on without including the Indian Test captain Virat Kohli. Having had the most remarkable season of his life, Kohli has established himself as one of the best batters in the world.

He’s had an imperious 2016. Nearly dragging India into the final of the World T20 and single handedly carrying his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore into the IPL final. Virat Kohli would have surely been the ace up the sleeve for any one of these six teams.

Stats:

Stats	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike rate
IPL 2016	16	973	81.08	152.03
Twenty 20	204	6445	41.85	132.99

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has had his critics over the years. But after a couple of good seasons, for India as well as the Mumbai Indians, the Mumbai batsman, has silenced his critics with several match winning knocks.

On his day, there is no better sight than watching Rohit Sharma in full flow. When he gets going, there is no ground in the world where the boundaries are too big. One can only imagine what he would have added to the top of the order of any of these teams.

Stats	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike rate
IPL 2016	14	489	44.45	132.88
Twenty 20	234	6137	33.17	131.13

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina might have gone off the boil recently, his problems with the short ball persisting, and many of his weaknesses being spotted and exploited by his opponents. However, he merits a spot in this list by being the biggest star the IPL has had in its 9 editions.

Two-time IPL winner and current captain of Gujarat Lions, Raina, has scored the most number of runs in IPL history. Not only this, he is exceptional in the field and proved to be quite a wily skipper this year. He would add plenty of dynamism to any squad.

Stats	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike rate
IPL 2016	15	399	28.5	127.88
Twenty 20	242	6326	33.12	139

Ravichandran Ashwin

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A look at the ICC rankings for bowlers would show you how highly regarded the off spinner is in the world. Ranking in the Top 10 in Tests and T20s, Ashwin is a very wily operator who has proved his worth over the years for Team India as well as the Chennai Super Kings.

He had a relatively poor year in the IPL this time around, but expect him to bounce back strong. The turning tracks in the West Indies will surely bring joy to his eyes and his 4 overs per game would be an asset to any team.

Stats	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
IPL 2016	14	10	31.9	7.25
Twenty 20	193	198	23.31	6.74

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Enjoying a purple patch in his career, ‘Bhuvi’ is bowling the best we have ever seen him bowl. Known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, Bhuvi has added an asset to his game with his ability to bowl the yorker in the death.Absolutely exceptional for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in this year’s IPL, it was his overs over the course of the tournament that was one of the reasons for the team’s success. Having led the SRH to victory, Bhuvi could have been the final piece in the puzzle for any of these sides.