IPL 2018: Players who will reunite in different teams this season - Part I

The Indian Premier League has arguably become one of the most sought-after cricketing competitions in the world. Within 11 years, it has changed the landscape of the game completely. A product of the times we live in, it has bought people from different cultures, backgrounds, thought processes, experiences and skill sets together. Back in the 2000s, who would have thought that someone like Ricky Ponting would be the captain of a side (that too Indian!) that too a side that has Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh!

Great friendships and camaraderie has seen between players who would quite possibly, be rivals when their nations take each other on. This season, many of them have been reunited with a different franchise, having played together in the same team in the past seasons as well.

In Part I, here are the other 9 sets of players whose reunion is bound to excite supporters of their respective franchises:

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#1 - Yusuf Pathan, Shakib al Hasan and Manish Pandey

The trio formed the nucleus of the Kolkata Knight Riders outfit, alongside Gautam Gambhir. There was never a doubt that KKR were on the winning side when either of these three came up with stellar performances.

Both all-rounders, Pathan and Shakib were snapped up by KKR in the 2011 IPL auction. In their seven seasons, the side won the IPL title twice. Pathan had a greater influence, getting more opportunities to play considering how the team was flexible in rotating their foreign players depending on conditions. Yet, Shakib too was a force to consider on slower pitches with his left-arm spin and was handy with the bat lower down the order.

Shakib al Hasan became popular amongst Indian fans courtesy his time at KKR

But it seems KKR wanted a change in their team composition and that could be why they weren’t retained in 2018, as both of them headed to Sunrisers Hyderabad eventually

On the other hand, Manish Pandey was picked up in the 2014 auction and in the same season, KKR won their second title. Pandey was the Man of the Match for his spectacular and nerveless 50-ball 94 in the final against Kings XI Punjab in Bangalore. His average for an Indian batsman at the top of the order made other franchises break the bank for him this season, and SRH succeeded with a Rs. 11 crore bid.

#2 – Gautam Gambhir and Colin Munro

Gautam Gambhir will lead a much revamped DD outfit in the IPL 2018

Another KKR duo bids goodbye to their franchise. Gambhir ensured that he wasn’t the only one from his former team to head to Delhi Daredevils, but there is one another player coming along with him. And that is hard-hitting Kiwi batsman, Colin Munro.

Munro didn’t trouble the scorers much at his stint with KKR in the IPL 2016, scoring only 30 runs in 4 games.

Colin Munro would look to improve his IPL record at DD

But he has improved since then majorly, whether he was playing for New Zealand or for KKR’s sister side, Trinbago Knight Riders in the West Indies. In January 2018, he became the only batsman in T20Is to score three centuries.

Gambhir and Munro opening the batting would surely be a joy to watch, both complementing each other perfectly.

#3 – Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohit Sharma

R Ashwin made his mark in IPL cricket with Chennai Super Kings

Both these players started off their IPL careers with the Chennai Super Kings, although in different seasons. Ashwin was a CSK constant from 2010-2015, being a part of an IPL winning side in 2010 and 2011. A tally of 88 wickets during this time was a key factor in their success during this period. It is this experience and ability to think logically under pressure, that Kings XI Punjab are banking on this season as they named him their captain.

Mohit Sharma began his career with CSK before heading to KXIP

On the other hand, Haryana pacer Mohit Sharma stole the show from the likes of Ashwin in his first two seasons itself at CSK. His 43 wickets on aggregate in 2013 and 2014 brought him in the limelight and eventually a place in the Indian limited-overs teams. Sharma’s wicket-taking ability has impressed KXIP so much that despite average returns in 2016 and 2017, he was retained by them through the RTM Card.

Ashwin and Mohit make Punjab’s bowling arguably much stronger than the seasons gone by and if they work in tandem successfully, other teams could brace themselves to find life hard this time.

#4 – Parthiv Patel and Tim Southee

Parthiv Patel (extreme right) and Tim Southee (centre) will pair up for RCB this season

Parthiv Patel’s experience in IPL cricket is close to unprecedented, more so when it comes to leaving his mark with different teams. He will be back playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, perhaps as the team’s first choice wicketkeeper-batsman.

However, it was at Mumbai Indians where Parthiv blossomed into a better T20 cricketer. In 2016 and 2017, one of his teammates was New Zealand pacer Tim Southee. Southee was earlier a part of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, but had to ply his trade with Mumbai due to the Royals being banned for 2 years.

Both these players have an opportunity to stamp their authority in another star-studded outfit, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2018.

#5 – Aaron Finch and Andrew Tye

Aaron Finch played for Gujarat Lions from 2016-2017 (Image credit: Hindustan Times)

Interestingly, this duo played together for an IPL team first before doing so for Australia or any domestic team there! Aaron Finch is renowned for his explosive batting at the top of the order in limited overs cricket across the world. This is in both international cricket and the IPL. Hence, Kings XI Punjab hit the nail on the head to strategically pick him up during the 2018 auction.

Alongside Finch, it looks like the Aussies are developing prodigious T20 talent courtesy the Big Bash League.

Australian pacer Andrew Tye debuted for Gujarat Lions in the IPL

Andrew Tye made a name for himself beyond Western Australian shores, taking two hat-tricks in the IPL at his time with the Gujarat Lions in the 2017 edition.

Finch and Tye were regulars for the Lions that season. Expect them to sizzle up the competition amongst foreign players in the Kings XI Punjab side this time!

#6 – Ben Cutting and Mustafizur Rahman

Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting will switch base from SRH to MI this year

Another Aussie comes in this list. All-rounder Ben Cutting hasn’t set the IPL alight in terms of consistency, but can be a valuable bits-and-pieces player. His strike rate hovers in the 190s! Sunrisers Hyderabad saw his potential when he was the Man of the Match in a tense IPL 2016 final against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in which his all-round performance of 26-ball 39* and 2-35 which included the wickets of Chris Gayle and KL Rahul, won them the game.

Bangladesh and ex-SRH pacer Mustafizur Rahman will look for an IPL comeback with MI

In the same season, Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman starred with 17 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 6.90. Rahman formed a perfect pairing with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, making SRH’s bowling attack perhaps the best back then.

Come 2018, Cutting and Rahman will feature for the Mumbai Indians. While these two have won an IPL title, would that be enough to seal a spot permanently in the playing XI? Time will tell.

#7 – Quinton de Kock and Pawan Negi

Quinton de Kock had a successful run at Delhi Daredevils

South African wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock was one of those foreign players that any IPL franchise would desperately want to have. de Kock’s performances picked up with the Delhi Daredevils. Having played for them from 2014 onwards, it was in 2015 and 2016 that he showed his true prowess. An average above 35 and a strike rate between 135 and 160, not to mention that he keeps wickets, did little justice to the team’s eventual performance.

Left-arm spinner Pawan Negi was a part of the DD team in the IPL 2016

Interestingly, he had left-arm spinner Pawan Negi as his teammate in the 2016 season. However, Negi’s poor performances made Delhi release him and Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him up in the 2017 season. A much better showing made them retain him in 2018.

And with de Kock being a part of the RCB outfit this season, he will be reunited with Negi and would look forward to complete many catches and stumpings off his wickets.

#8 – Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal

Karun Nair enjoyed two fruitful seasons with Delhi Daredevils

Both of them belong to Karnataka and are supremely talented batsmen, especially in T20 cricket. Their similarities extend to the IPL as well, where they played together for the Delhi Daredevils in the 2017 edition. Both these men were picked for being groomed under Rahul Dravid and giving the side more Indian options.

Opener Mayank Agarwal will shift base from DD to KXIP this season

Nair made the most of his stint there, with an aggregate of 638 runs in 2016 and 2017 which included some match-winning performances. On the other hand, Agarwal was stifled with a lack of opportunities, playing just three games last year.

This time though, Nair and Agarwal are more than likely to feature in all Kings XI Punjab matches as they form the nucleus of the Indian contingent. Domestic batting talent makes a huge difference after all.

#18 – R Vinay Kumar and Nitish Rana

R Vinay Kumar was a part of the Mumbai Indians' IPL-winning 2017 squad

Lastly, another unlikely pair comes in. R Vinay Kumar had a mixed run at the Mumbai Indians last year, getting few opportunities yet picking up tricks of the trade from what was eventually an IPL-winning team.

On the other hand, Nitish Rana emerged as the next biggest Indian batting talent who is just 24 years old. Rana’s aggregate of 333 runs in the edition at an average of 30.27, proves how responsible he feels about carrying his team to the victory line.

Nitish Rana was one of Mumbai Indians' star players in the IPL 2017

Vinay Kumar and Rana will team up again, this time at the Kolkata Knight Riders. Their experience could be valuable considering the Knight Riders have many young, untested Indian talents.