IPL 2019: 3 South African players to watch out for

The 12th edition of IPL, IPL 2019, is less than 2 weeks away, and the excitement levels are already very high. The first match will be played between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 23rd at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

IPL is undoubtedly the biggest T20 league in the world. It’s a huge platform for new prodigies and experienced veterans to showcase their talents in the shortest format of the game.

Foreign players are always an integral part of IPL. But there haven’t been a lot of players from South Africa making an impact in IPL except Morne Morkel, who won the Purple Cap in 2012 with 25 wickets from 16 matches, and AB de Villiers, who has continuously delivered with the bat all the seasons.

This year, 3 South African players are making their IPL debut - Colin Ingram, Hardus Viljoen and Anrich Nortje. On the flip side, there were a few big names who went unsold in the auction this year - such as Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel himself.

On that note, let's take a look at 3 South African players to watch out for in this edition of IPL.

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#3 Anrich Nortje (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Nortje has 162 wickets from 47 first class matches

25-year-old right-arm fast bowler Anrich Nortje entered the IPL auction with a base price of INR 20 lakh. Kolkata Knight Riders bought him at that same price, thus ensuring he will get to play his first IPL this year.

In the Mzansi Super League (MSL), Nortje took 8 wickets from 3 matches at an average of 10.4. Unfortunately however, he was ruled out from the rest of the tournament due to an ankle injury.

Nortje has picked up 162 wickets from 47 first-class matches at an average of 25.72. He has also picked 19 wickets from 12 T20s.

Nortje made his ODI debut in 2019 March against Sri Lanka, and has so far picked 3 wickets from 2 matches at an average of 19.33. He has already caught everyone’s eye with his pace and variation.

Nortje is known for attacking the stumps at 150 kmph. It will be interesting to see how he performs in Indian conditions.

#2 Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians)

De Kock has a strike rate of 130.37 in IPL

The 26-year-old Quinton de Kock is widely regarded as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. He was named the Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's 2017 Annual Awards.

De Kock has scored 4424 runs from 103 ODIs at an average of 45.14 while striking at 95.67. In T20Is, he has scored 874 runs from 35 matches.

In 2017 De Kock became the fastest player to score 12 ODI hundreds. He achieved this feat in 74 matches, bettering Hashim Amla’s mark of 81 innings.

In IPL De Kock has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013), Delhi Daredevils (2014-2017) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2018). This year he will be featuring for Mumbai Indians after they purchased him from Royal Challengers Bangalore in the transfer window.

De Kock has scored 927 IPL runs from 34 matches at a strike rate of 130.37, with one century and six fifties. He will be opening the batting for Mumbai.

#1 AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

ABD has a strike rate of 174.54 in IPL

The 35-year-old AB de Villiers retired from international cricket in 2018, but he continues to enthrall spectators all over the world in the T20 leagues.

Because of his ability to hit any ball in any direction, De Villiers is popularly called Mr. 360. He is considered one of the best and most destructive batsmen of the current generation.

ABD is one of the few overseas players who has played all the editions of IPL so far. He has played for Delhi Daredevils (2008-2010) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2011-present) in the tournament, scoring 3953 runs from 141 matches at an average of 39.53 while striking at 150.93.

In IPL 2018, De Villiers scored 480 runs at an average of 53.33 and a strike rate of 174.54. He has scored 2 centuries and 25 fifties for RCB so far.

ABD is known for his destructive batting and wide variety of shots. He is expected to bat in the top order for RCB this year.