IPL 2018: Five Best Debutants 

Every year, the IPL sees an influx of fresh faces playing in the competition for the first time. These players range from international stars who have performed in other leagues to young up-and-coming Indians for whom this is the first time on the big stage.

They may, like Ben Stokes in 2017, go on to win the Player of the Tournament award, or they may, like many others, fail to make a mark. With the league stage of this edition of the IPL concluded, this slideshow looks at five 'IPL debutants' (i.e. players playing their first season) who have made a significant impact for their respective sides:

*Note: All figures and statistics in this slideshow are accurate up to the start of the first Qualifier between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Chennai Super Kings.

#5 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw, the winning captain of the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup, put together a string of stellar performances this season. In 9 innings, he scored 245 runs and provided Delhi with blistering starts on many occasions.

Further, in spite of having a classical method of batting, he attacked the bowlers extremely well and scored his runs at a strike rate of 160. While the Delhi Daredevils struggled this season, Shaw managed to stand out.

#4 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the precocious mystery spinner from Afghanistan, just like his compatriot Rashid Khan last season, performed exceedingly well in his first IPL season, in spite of missing the Kings' last few games.

In 11 matches, he took 14 wickets, with an economy rate of a meagre 6.99. More than just the stellar numbers, his ability to bowl all the difficult overs and outfox the best players of spin in the world at such a young age impressed one and all. Whatever the critics may say about the Kings' performance this season, in Mujeeb they have unearthed a diamond.

#3 Evin Lewis

Perhaps a surprising entry on the list given how much was expected of him, Evin Lewis had a decent first stint in the IPL. In 13 innings, he made 382 runs at an average of 29. While the numbers may not make for great reading, Lewis did provide the Mumbai Indians with starts on several occasions and took the game away from the opposition on the odd occasion.

However, Lewis could not convert his starts into big scores, largely due to his vulnerability against spin. Going into the future editions of the IPL, Lewis will be looking to improve his game against spin and kick on to the next level.

#2 Lungi Ngidi

Despite having bowled in only five innings, Lungi Ngidi has played a huge role in the Super Kings' season: he has transformed their bowling attack into a fierce one, quite an improvement from the initial stages of the tournament, when it looked rather lackluster.

The numbers themselves are excellent for Ngidi: in 5 innings, he has taken 9 wickets at an economy rate of 6.11, and this includes the memorable 4/10 he took against the Kings XI Punjab to knock them out of the tournament. With the Super Kings heading into the playoffs, and other key bowlers such as Dwayne Bravo not at their best, Ngidi will be looking to carry on with his purple patch and lead the side to victory.

#1 Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer, the Barbadian-turned-English bowling all-rounder, has had a stellar first season in the IPL. In 9 innings, he has taken 13 wickets at an economy rate of 8.38; however, the numbers do not do justice to the impact that Archer has had on his team.

Out for the first few games due to an injury, Archer provided the Rajasthan Royals with the spark they needed on his return, which was against the Mumbai Indians. His deadly yorkers, ability to tonk the ball and prowess in the field make him a deadly package, and with Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes having returned to England on international duty, the onus will largely be on Archer to take his side to the final.