IPL 2018: Three foreign players who have impressed in their debut IPL season

The riches of the IPL attracts players from different parts of the world. Of the many overseas players that are playing, there is a handful of them who will be taking part for the first time.

In an interview, England's Jofra Archer spoke about what it means to play in the IPL:

"It is life-changing. It's probably the biggest T20 competition outside of international cricket, and I can't play international cricket at the moment, so it's probably going to be the biggest challenge of my life so far."

With such huge expectations and pressure to perform, not many players succeed in this tournament. However, a few have risen to the challenge and played exceptionally well.

Here are the top three overseas players who have played well in their debut season:

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#3 Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis was one of the most sought-after players in the IPL auctions. His swashbuckling performance against India, where he scored a century off just 48 balls, made a lot of people in cricket sit up and take notice, including IPL franchises.

A fierce bidding war between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians ensued in this year's auctions and he was eventually bought by the latter for a handsome Rs. 3.80 crores.

He had a forgetful start to his IPL career as he got out for a duck in the first match against CSK.

In the next match against SRH, who boast of the best bowling attack, he played a sensible knock of 29 off 17 balls. Against Delhi Daredevils, he was ruthless and scored a blistering 48 off just 28 balls which included 4 massive sixes.

It was the game against RCB which brought the best of Evin Lewis. Mumbai Indians were put under pressure after Umesh Yadav took two wickets in two balls and the scorecard read 0/2. In such a tough situation, Lewis bailed them out of trouble and scored a majestic 65 at a strike-rate of 154. His strokes on the on-side and his composure while playing them made him a delight to watch.

#2 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has bowled exceptionally well in this year's IPL

During the auctions, 17-year-old Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was bought by Punjab for a whopping price of Rs. 4 crores. When Mujeeb Zadran played his first match against Delhi Daredevils, he created a record as he became the youngest player to play in the IPL.

Looking at his performances, it is hard to believe that the 17-year-old is playing in his first ever IPL. He has displayed exceptional control and his variations have bamboozled the batsmen. In the seven matches that Punjab has played so far, he has featured in all of them, which in itself is an achievement.

The youngster has picked up seven wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of just over 6.5. Against RCB, he bowled a googly to dismiss Virat Kohli, and many pundits have labelled it the ball of the tournament.

Here's the clip to the video:

Million dollar moment for Mujeebhttps://t.co/JB0eZyGC1O

— Faizal Khan (@faizalkhanm9) April 13, 2018

#1 Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer came into the IPL with an injury

One of the most talked about players before the start of the IPL, Jofra Archer's arrival to the IPL was much awaited. After missing the initial matches due to a side strain, the Englishman took the IPL by storm.

In his first match against Mumbai Indians, he rattled MI's much-fancied batting line-up. His two overs at the death yielded just four runs and five runs respectively. Importantly, it was the three wickets that he picked up which changed the complexion of the game. For his performance, he was awarded the Man of the Match in his first game in the IPL.

He has paid back handsomely the Rs. 7.2 crores that RR paid for him with his pin-point yorkers, and his athletic fielding. In the three matches that he has played, he has picked up 7 wickets at an economy rate of 7.

His addition to the IPL got the fans excited and his energy, along with his signature celebration style has grabbed eyeballs and made him the latest star in the IPL.