The Indian Premier League is featuring two new teams this season, a replacement to two former champions, the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Superkings. Players from the former teams were part of an initial draft, whereas a full auction took place for the rest of the players.
Some players, like Virat Kohli and Harbhajan Singh, have been part of one franchise for all the editions, whereas others like Parthiv Patel and Aaron Finch have featured in a number of teams. With fresh auctions and two new teams, a number of players changed sides. Some settled well in their new outfit, while others are still taking time to get accustomed. Here’s a list of five players who have been in good nick for their new franchise:
Ajinkya Rahane
The diminutive opener has been a rock at the top of the order for the Pune franchise, providing substantial knocks while opening for them. He was a key player in the Rajasthan set-up, providing solid starts for them before being roped in by Pune in this year’s auction for Rs. 9.5 crores in the initial draft. Before that, he was part of the Mumbai Indians, but got very little opportunities. At Rajasthan, he was mentored by Rahul Dravid, with whom he also got to open the innings.
Till now, he has amassed 417 runs from 10 matches at an average of over 50. In all, he has more than 2000 runs in the IPL with a century and 23 50s.
Aaron Finch
Acquired by the Gujarat Lions after playing for as many as five franchises previously, Finch has made steady contributions for the Lions, who came back to winning ways after seeming to lose track from a strong start. He started off with three consecutive fifty plus scores, and has compiled close to 300 runs for the new franchise. Playing one or two slots down from his preferred opening position, Finch, the number two T20 batsman, scored an unbeaten 51 in their match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and followed it with a quick-fire 29 against KKR.
Finch last played for the Mumbai Indians before having his stint cut short by a hamstring tear. His IPL career started with the Rajastan Royals, before shifting to Delhi in 2012. After being part of Pune Warriors and Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was subsequently signed up by Mumbai Indians and then the Lions.
Dinesh Karthik
Apart from Finch, Karthik has been regularly contributing at the top of the order for the Lions. Currently, he has more than 250 runs, with three fifties to his credit, the latest of which helped beat the Kolkata Knight Riders in their home ground, hitting a 29-ball 51 and taking two catches. In all, he has taken seven catches and effected three stumpings in this edition. Earlier, Karthik had turned out for Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was purchased by the Lions in this year’s auction for a price of Rs. 2.3 crores.
Karthik has been a dependable middle-order for his previous franchises too, and has more than 2400 runs in all matches with 12 50s and a high score of 86. His previous stint was with the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year.
Shane Watson
The burly Australian, fresh from international retirement, might not have set the stage on fire with his bat, but has certainly been among the wickets. With 12 wickets from 8 matches, he has been topping the wicket-chart for his franchise, which is struggling with a tooth-less attack. Apart from that, he has been utilized lower down the line-up and has come with quick cameos to give the final thrust in the concluding overs.
His role might have changed from what it was for his previous team, the Rajasthan Royals, but he remains an integral part of Bangalore’s plans. His international career was resurrected on the back of stellar performances with both bat and ball for the Royals, with whom he had been associated from the inaugural edition itself.
Dwayne Bravo
The champion from West Indies hasn’t been able to set the stage on fire with the bat, but has been more than handy with the ball, having scalped 12 wickets already. He’s been bowling with a strike-rate of 19, and has a four-wicket haul to his credit. In all IPL matches, he has more than 1000 runs and 100 wickets to his credit.
Before this, he had been part of the Mumbai Indians for the first three editions, but was roped in by then-champions Chennai Superkings ahead of the 2011 edition. His usefulness as a T20 player has been showcased all over the world, and given his ability to get breakthroughs in the middle and concluding overs, he might end up as the purple cap holder, like he has done in 2013 and 2015, the only player to get lead the charts twice.
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