IPL 2018: Power-hitters for each team who can be the impact players

The Indian Premier League is just a few days away and all the teams are making their last-minute preparations to finalize their starting XI. While most of the players are sweating it out in the nets some of the foreign players are yet to join their respective teams.

Over the years power-hitters has been the impact players in the T20 format. It is a hard-hitting batsman who can single handily shape an innings and this is the biggest reason that they are in demand for playing T20 cricket all over the world. Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers are two big names who belong to this category of players and have been entertaining the fans across the world with their thunderous batting style.

Here is a list of the best power hitters that each team has this season and who may prove to be impact players for their respective teams:

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#8 Glenn Maxwell (Delhi Daredevils)

Glenn Maxwell, the Australian batsman has been one of the best foreign talents who has been honed in the IPL. Maxwell who played for Kings XI Punjab in the previous seasons has been in fine form in internationals. He is currently placed 3rd on the list of ICC T20I batsmen rankings.

In the T20I Tri-series, that involved Australia, New Zealand, and England, Maxwell emerged as the 2nd highest run scorer in the tournament. He scored a whopping 233 runs in 5 matches at an average of 116.50 and a strike rate of 166.42.

Following his consistency in internationals, he was bought by Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs. 9 crores. Maxwell who has the potential to win matches single handily will be a regular in the Daredevils' squad and it will be interesting to see if he carries his international form into the IPL.

#7 Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Chris Lynn, the Australian batsman is one of the hardest hitters of the ball in the world at present. Lynn who represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous season was released by the franchise ahead of the auction reckoning his injury concerns.

The Kolkata franchise had played a big gamble not retaining him, but the franchise was successful to buy him back after shelling out a whopping Rs. 9.6 crore in the auction. No wonder Lynn was definitely the most sought-after players in the auction following his heroics in the IPL last year.

In the 2017 season, Lynn scored 295 runs in 7 matches at an average of 49.16 and a thunderous strike rate of 180.98. He missed some of the matches due to his shoulder injury.

The Kolkata Knight Riders who have invested most of their money in the big man must be hoping that he steps on the gas from the first match itself.

#6 D'Arcy Short (Rajasthan Royals)

D'Arcy Short, the Big Bash League sensation has quickly risen above the ranks in T20 cricket. The Australian was predicted to go for big money in the IPL Auction this year, but proved to be one of the biggest bargain buys when Rajasthan Royals closed the deal on Rs. 4 crores.

Short grabbed the eyeballs of the IPL franchises following his excellent Big Bash season. He scored 572 runs in 11 matches at an average of 57.20 and a strike rate of 148.57. He was quickly inducted into the Australian T20 squad for the Tri-series where he scored 196 runs in 5 matches.

The Australian is one of the top contenders for the Orange cap this season. Rajasthan Royals who are returning after serving a two-year ban must be hoping that Short provide the team headstarts in every match with his powerful batting.

#5 Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab)

Chris Gayle the West Indian has been the best T20 player in the world. He is the only player to score more than 10,000 runs in T20s and has scored 20 T20 centuries, the most by any player in the world. This is enough to define him as a T20 batsman.

Gayle who prefers to deal in boundaries rather than running between the wickets has been off colors in the recent times. He went unsold on the first day of the auction which left fans dejected, but Preity Zinta showed her trust and bought the mighty West Indian at his base price of Rs. 2 crores.

The West Indian has failed repeatedly in internationals in the recent times still Kings XI Punjab have shown confidence in him. Aaron Finch won't be available for the initial matches of the Punjab team and this means that Chris Gayle will open the innings for the team. Gayle must take advantage of the opportunity and cement his place in the playing XI before the Australian returns.

Gayle who might be playing in his last IPL season must be surely looking to entertain his fans this season.

#4 Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

Suresh Raina, the Indian power-hitter has finally made a successful comeback to the Indian team. He was named in the Indian T20I squad following his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy stint and played his first international match after almost two years. He made an impact in the T20I series against South Africa and showed that the vintage Raina in him his still alive.

Raina has been the best batsman in the IPL since the inception of the tournament in 2008. He is currently the highest run-scorer in the tournament and has scored close to 400 runs in every single season. He is also the leading Indian six-hitter in the tournament having hit 173 of them.

Raina must be looking forward to having a successful run in the season ahead which may pave his way back into the ODI team too.

#3 AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

AB de Villiers, the South African batsman is one of the best T20 players in the world. He has not played much-limited overs cricket lately, but he has been in supreme form in Tests. He scored 4 fifties and a hundred in the Test series against Australia.

AB de Villiers does not need an introduction when it comes to T20 cricket. The South African who is the creator of a number of shots is capable of hitting even the best of the deliveries for long sixes. For obvious reasons, AB de Villiers was retained by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the auction.

He has been one of the most valuable players in the IPL over the years. With Brendon McCullum who will turn up for Bangalore this year, AB de Villiers must be looking to open the innings with the New Zealander and give RCB accelerated starts throughout the season.

#2 Alex Hales (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Alex Hales, England's best T20 batsman was lucky to find an IPL team even after going unsold in the auction this year. Hales was signed as a replacement for David Warner who has to sit out of the IPL following the sandpaper-gate scandal.

Hales surprisingly went unsold in the auction even after being consistent in internationals. A big responsibility rests on his shoulders as he has to fill the boots of a player who has been one of the best batsmen in the IPL.

Hales has played in 174 T20s in which he has scored 4704 runs at an average of 28.85 and a strike rate of 143.54. With enough of T20 experience under his belt, Sunrisers Hyderabad must be hoping that he fires from the top providing the team headstarts just like Warner used to do.

#1 Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians)

Ishan Kishan, the power-hitter from Bihar became an overnight sensation in the IPL last year following his thunderous batting for the Gujarat Lions. Ishan hit huge sixes in the season and built a reputation for himself.

In the last season, he scored 277 runs in 11 matches at an average of 27.70 and a strike rate of 134.46. He got his due in the IPL Auction this year when Mumbai Indians bought him for a whopping Rs. 6.2 crore, which was more than 15 times of his base price of Rs. 40 lakh.

Kishan who used to play in the middle order for the Gujarat Lions last year may be promoted to open the innings for the Mumbai Indians. The team who has invested a big amount in the young batsman has huge expectations from him and Kishan himself must be looking to give back to the team.