IPL 2018: Swashbuckling openers in each IPL team

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is about to kick off on 7th of April but who all are going to start off for their teams? The aggression at the top is a key feature of the modern-day cricket, especially the T20 cricket.

In IPL as well, the franchises prefer to have a flashy batsman at the top, who can provide the initial momentum & win games single-handedly for them. Players like Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brendon McCullum, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dwayne Smith, and others have done it in the past.

Let us have a look at the opening stroke players for each franchise in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.

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Shane Watson (Chennai Super Kings)

Only player to win the 'most valuable player award' twice in the IPL

The big Australian all-rounder was a part of Rajasthan Royals since the first season until the misfortune happened and his franchise got a two-year suspension following the 'far-reaching implications.'

Shane Watson won the 'Man of the Tournament' award in RR's maiden title triumph in 2008, for scoring 472 runs and picking up 17 wickets. No other cricketer has been able to replicate this kind of performance till now.

In 2016, the Queenslander was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore for gigantic ₹ 9.5 crores, which was the highest for that season. In 2018 IPL player auction, Watto was acquired by CSK for ₹ 4 crores.

IPL Career:

Inns - 102 | Runs - 2622 | SR - 138.66 | HS - 104

Colin Munro (Delhi Daredevils)

Munro batted in the middle-order for KKR

In search of a substitute for New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum, they stumbled upon the flashy left-handed Colin Munro, who didn't dash their hopes as he went on to become the first ever batsman to score three centuries in T20 Internationals.

The 30-year-old is one of the 'impact' players at the top order, especially in the shortest format, playing for any T20 side around the world. He is one of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball.

Furthermore, having one of the most powerful forearms amongst the active cricketers that even make mistimed shots sail over, make him much more dangerous for the opposition.

Delhi Daredevils signed him for a bargain price of ₹ 1.9 crores.

T20 Career:

Inns - 148 | Runs - 3712 | SR - 148.89 | HS - 109*

Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab)

Gayle has slammed a record-making 20 centuries in T20 cricket

The Jamaican took the IPL standards to another level and is known to be the most destructive and greatest T20 batsman in the history of the game.

Gayle has set records for the fastest century reached in any format of cricket, the highest individual score in a T20 match, and the most sixes scored in a single innings in the IPL. It was all witnessed in his 2013 innings of 175 runs that came off just 66 balls and made him an IPL icon.

Having reached the fag end of his IPL career, the 'universal boss' was bagged-in by Kings XI Punjab at his base price of ₹ 2 crores.

IPL Career:

Inns - 100 | Runs - 3626 | SR - 151.21 | HS - 175

Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Lynn will make a comeback after suffering a dislocated shoulder

Chris Lynn has been the center of attention in T20 cricket for the past few years. The 27-year-old showcased the best of his talent while playing for Brisbane Heat in the BBL.

Despite making his IPL debut way back in 2012 for the Deccan Chargers, he came into the limelight only when he opened for Kolkata Knight Riders, giving them flying starts along with Sunil Narine in 2017, scoring 295 runs in 7 games.

Lynn returned to KKR at the 2018 auction, who re-signed him for a whopping ₹ 9.6 crores.

IPL Career:

Inns - 12 | Runs - 384 | SR - 158.02 | HS - 93

Evin Lewis (Mumbai Indians)

He went unsold in the last year's auction

Coming to the IPL, perhaps the only batsman who could be glorified as the batting-twin to Christopher Henry Gayle, is his Caribbean disciple Evin Lewis. The mighty left-hander is not too much different from his idol Chris Gayle, who likes to tear apart the opposition bowling-attack right from the word go.

Lewis earned his well-deserved IPL contract with Mumbai Indians for ₹ 3.8 crores, in which scoring two T20I hundreds against India played an instrumental role.

After the heroics of Lendl Simmons in the past, MI will once again bank upon the Caribbean resources to fulfill opening duties.

T20 Career:

Inns - 82 | Runs - 2657 | SR - 146.06 | HS - 125*

D'Arcy Short (Rajasthan Royals)

Can he make a memorable IPL debut?

In contrast to his last name, D'Arcy Short has set the reputation of striking long sixes, credit to his proficiency in generating immense bat speeds.

He came into limelight in the BBL where he played for Hobart Hurricanes, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the 2017/18 season. The 27-year-old earned a call-up to don the yellow jersey in a T20I tri-series, where he ended up being the third highest run-getter with 196 runs.

In a young T20 career of 25 matches, he has already hit 44 sixes, following which Rajasthan Royals roped him in for ₹ 4 crores.

T20 Career:

Inns - 25 | Runs - 966 | SR - 150.70 | HS - 122*

Brendon McCullum (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Baz is going to be the key opener for RCB

First ever batsman to score an IPL century, that too in the inaugural game of the tournament, Brendon McCullum was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the player auction this year.

RCB is always known for their squash-buckling batting line-up that often gives nightmares to the opposition bowlers. Seeing the 'Universe Boss' entering the dusk of his IPL career, RCB stumbled upon 'The Baz', who can bruise bowling attacks in no time.

IPL Career:

Inns - 103 | Runs - 2753 | SR - 131.22 | HS - 158

Alex Hales

Hales is set to make his IPL debut in 2018

After going unsold for consecutive seasons, the hopes for English opener Alex Hales almost shattered. But fortunately, the tables turned when he was called as a replacement for recently banned David Warner to join the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp.

Alex Hales is known for his natural stroke-play & fearless batsmanship, which is a feature of the transformed England limited-overs side. The 29-year-old has the ability to provide what SRH's former captain used to deal with in the past & will be a key member of the unit.

T20 Career:

Inns - 173 | Runs - 4704 | SR - 143.54 | HS - 116*