Caribbean Premier League 2018: Five players pushing for IPL selections

There is no doubt that the IPL is the premier T20 league in the world, and every T20 player desires to play in it. Often, other leagues, such as the Australian Big Bash, the Bangladesh Premier League, and the Caribbean Premier League (currently ongoing) serve as platforms for players to showcase their talents and impress IPL scouts.

Even in the most recently concluded IPL, players such as D'arcy Short, Jofra Archer, and others commanded high price-tags due to their stellar showings in the Big Bash.

Similarly, the ongoing CPL, too, has had relatively unknown players crop up and show their skills against the best in the world. In this article, we look at five such players that could attract attention from IPL franchises come next year:

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#5 - Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)

Phillips is the top scorer in the CPL this season

Despite having represented New Zealand in the shortest format of the game (8 T20 internationals), Glenn Phillips remains relatively unknown to most cricket followers.

However, in the CPL this year, the wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 457 runs, at a stunning average of 41.54 and a strike rate of 146.94. He is the second highest run-getter in this year's tournament thus far, and with only one match - the final between the Trinbago Knight Riders and the Guyana Amazon Warriors remaining - it seems as if he will retain his spot there.

Phillips is a free-stroking and attacking top-order batsman, and over the course of the tournament, he has provided his side, the Jamaica Tallawahs, with quite a few blistering starts. Further, he also showed himself capable of playing the long innings, with scores of 103 and 80 in the tournament.

Also see - CPL Most Wickets

#4 - Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies)

The 21-year-old has a bright future ahead of him

Shimron Hetmer, too, been in and around international cricket for the past one year. Since his international debut in April of last year, he has played twenty-odd international matches.

However, this year's CPL was truly the coming of age for this young West Indian top-order batsman. The left-hander's free-flowing stroke play, aggressive mindset, and ability to strike the ball big have led to him being immensely successful in the tournament - in 11 innings, he has scored 425 runs at an average 42.5 and a strike rate of 148.6.

Further, the southpaw's brilliant performances have contributed immensely to his team's fortunes, as the Guyana Amazon Warriors look to triumph in the final later today.

Lastly, his ability to play spin well and attack spinners will make him an even more lucrative prospect for IPL franchises.

#3 - Oshane Thomas (West Indies)

Another young talent that needs to be nurtured carefully

Oshane Thomas, who has already been identified as an extremely bright prospect for the future, has been on fire in this year's edition of the CPL.

The young fast-bowler has impressed one and all with his performances with both the new ball and the old ball. He has taken 18 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 8.36, which is extremely respectable for a bowler that bowls all the key overs.

Bowlers that bowl at such high pace with such lethal accuracy are extremely rare commodities in India; therefore, Thomas is bound to attract attention from IPL scouts. Despite being less than 25 matches old into professional cricket, he has shown himself to be an excellent cricketer and a bright prospect for the future.

#2 - Ali Khan (United States of America)

Khan is an American of Pakistani origin

The United States of America is known for many things but producing quality cricketers is not one of them. However, in Ali Khan, they seem to have found their first genuinely world class cricketer.

Originally hailing from Pakistan, Khan, in line with Pakistan's tradition of producing world-class fast bowlers, is a right-arm pace bowler, and in 11 matches in this year's CPL, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy of 8.09 for the Trinbago Knight Riders.

Like most of the premier fast bowlers in the world, he bowls with the new ball in the powerplay, and with the old ball at the death - both of which are extremely difficult periods to bowl in. Whether he ends up performing well - or even getting a chance - in the IPL remains to be seen; however, one thing is for certain: USA have found their first world-class player.

#1 - Fawad Ahmed (Australia)

Top wicket taker of CPL 2018

The highest wicket-taker in this year's CPL, Fawad Ahmed is not exactly unknown; however, his performance in the CPL (21 wickets at an economy of 6.08) is sure to have catapulted him from a fringe legspinner whose career seemed to be heading towards the end to an extremely attractive player for T20 franchises around the world.

Despite playing for Trinbago Knight Riders - a team which has proven T20 bowlers such as Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, and Kevon Cooper in the squad - Ahmed has emerged as the bowler to watch out for.

With the way that the likes of Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine have gone about in the IPL, Fawad Ahmed might be an attractive proposition for franchises, especially at the right price.