IPL 2018: 5 Australian players to watch out for

Over the last ten years of the biggest T20 festival, the cricketing world has witnessed top quality performances, comebacks and historic moments that only add to the heritage of the gentleman’s game. Be it for the youth or the experienced, the IPL has only fostered new talent and granted the world an array of match winners from all around the globe.

It is important to know that behind every team’s success recipe, there is Australian flavour involved. In the first season, Rajasthan Royals emerged as surprise packages, an anchor in the form of Shane Warne orchestrated a fantastic inaugural season victory, where he perfectly assigned roles to every player and fabricated the right balance, bringing the best out of everyone. He set himself apart as an attacking wicket-taker, claiming 19 scalps in the 2008 season and leading by example. Second on the list is Shane Watson, who put up an all-round show, picking up 17 wickets, four player of the match awards and player of the tournament. In fact, he is the only man to have won the player of the tournament accolade twice. The same season, Shaun Marsh announced himself by winning the Orange Cap for the Kings XI Punjab, helping them to third place.

Next season, arguably Australia’s most attacking opener of all time, Matthew Hayden scored the most number of runs. He struck 572 runs in 12 matches for the Chennai Super Kings. For a successful Deccan Chargers side in the 2010 edition, Andrew Symonds picked up three man-of-the-match awards, second only to the great Sachin Tendulkar. In the same season, Doug Bollinger joined the CSK camp in the second half of the term and set the field on fire, bowling at an unbelievable economy of 6.67 and collecting 12 wickets. In the 2013 season, Mike Hussey took charge and formidably won the orange cap, scoring 733 runs in the tournament. While Watson scored a century that term, James Faulkner took two five-wicket hauls and claimed 28 wickets. Speedster Mitchell Johnson ended up 4th place in the Purple Cap list, collecting 24 wickets.

In the 8th and the 10th edition of the league, David Warner scored 1203 runs in total, wearing the Orange Cap in both seasons. In the 2016 season too, he scored 848 runs at an average of 60.57. The same year, Watson impressed yet again with the ball, chipping in with 20 wickets. Out of 10 winning teams, three sides have been led by Australian captains. Hence, it is quite clear that the men from down under have stamped their authority in the IPL. This season too, a number of Aussies are expected to hit the ground running and guide their sides to glory.

Here are 5 Australians to watch out for this season:

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#1 Mitchell Starc

He will surely be steaming in for the Knight Riders

Feared as the deadliest bowler in present-day cricket, Mitchell Starc will be set to go and lead Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling attack. Starc bowls consistently at a pace of above 145 clicks and is one of the most all-round bowlers at the moment.

In the shortest format, he not only picks up early wickets but also stops the flow of runs at the death with some toe-crushing yorkers. If well utilised, he can rip apart any batting line-up. Earlier on, he sticks to the right line, doesn't offer any room to the batsman, swings it in and bowls quick. At the death, Starc relies on the fuller deliveries, the ones that rattle the stumps and only end up in the blockhole.

He garnered praise in the 2015 IPL season, where he picked up 20 wickets in just 13 matches, at a stunning average of 14.55 and an economy of 6.76. With a younger looking bowling line-up consisting of U-19 stars like Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, the onus will be on the New South Wales speedster to deliver the goods.

#2 David Warner

Warner has been one of the best

batsman

in IPL history

Warner has been a colossus for the Sunrisers at the top order and has coupled attacking cricket with consistency. He plays conventional cricket, doesn't tinker around with his approach too much and is a real force to be reckoned with.

In the all-time top scorers list, he stands tall on 5th place with 4014 runs in just 114 matches. Others on that list have played at least 30-40 games more than him and are just a few runs ahead. Probably the best batsman in this format, Warner mixes the ability to hit the big shots with the role of anchoring an innings, which is an increasingly rare commodity in the game.

He is a capable leader too, having led from the front in the 2016 season and winning the title. In the last three editions of this tournament, he has scored 562 runs in 2015, 848 in 2016 and 641 in 2017, which clearly speaks of his dominance. If he gets going for yet another season, the Orange Army would book a top-four berth for sure, for the third season running.

#3 Steve Smith

The Australian captain scores

runs

by his own ways

Undoubtedly, the Aussie skipper is a player to watch out for. Steve Smith may not be like David Warner, who plays perfect cricketing shots alongside old-fashioned slogs, but he certainly trusts his technique and keeps it simple.

Last year, a lot of eyebrows were raised when he was given the captaincy role, despite the availability of IPL's most successful captain, MS Dhoni. But, with his sturdy leadership, team selection and field placements, Rising Pune Supergiant finished the season as runners-up. The fidgety batsman was outshone due to Warner's and Gambhir's leverage but ended the season with a handful of match-winning performances for his side. He scored 472 runs at an average close to 40.

Smith mostly favours the leg side and often uses the pull, cut and the unconditional slog over mid-wicket to up his scoring rate. He will return to his old club and will surely be Rajasthan's Mr Dependable.

#4 Andrew Tye

Tye is in a rich vein of form going into the IPL

Andrew Tye has grown to become a T20 specialist in recent years. Having announced himself at the Big Bash, where he spearheaded the Perth Scorchers' bowling attack, Tye is now a recognized fast bowler in the international arena.

IPL has seen little of the West Australian pacer, but in a short while, he has claimed a hat-trick for the Gujarat Lions in the 2016 season. He will represent the Kings XI Punjab and is expected to be their first choice foreign fast bowler. In the recently held ODI series against England, Tye earned his first call-up to the national side in the 50-over format. In the same series, he bagged a five-wicket haul too. In 12 T20Is for the Men in Yellow, he has picked up 16 wickets.

Speaking of his attributes in this format, he is the right bowler to have in the middle and death overs. The 31-year-old bowls at a decent pace of above 140 kph, mixes his speeds and lengths well and most importantly, is a lethal wicket-taker. He has a number of tricks up his sleeves, which include a fine yorker, slower ball bouncer, knuckle ball and the one that comes out of the back of the hand.

#5 D'Arcy Short

He can set the field on fire with some power hitting

The left-handed batsman impressed in the Big Bash 2017-18, scoring 572 runs in 11 matches, at an average of 57.20 and a strike rate of 148.57, and deservedly, represented Australia for the first time in their recent T20I series. In five matches for the Aussies, he has piled up 196 runs, his highest score being 76.

Firstly, he is a real asset to have due to his all-round abilities. Not only with the bat, but with the ball too, Short is a valuable player. On the field, he is sharp, lively and possesses a fine arm. The Katherine-born batsman has exceptional hitting abilities and is someone who can dispatch any ball on his day. In this year's Big Bash, he hit 26 sixes in just 11 innings. Much like any other Australian left-handed batter, he pulls the cricket ball excellently. He backs the square leg, mid-wicket and long on area to score his runs. Short can take the attack to the opposition with his ability to find boundaries with utmost ease.

If he gets his chance in the IPL, one can surely expect him to impress and entertain the fans.