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The twelfth season of the Indian Premier League has started. Cricketers from around the world have begun to entertain the Indian crowd with their jaw-dropping performances. IPL is known for featuring the greatest of the game.
Thus, the league has a reputation for being a star-studded one. New talented players also get the opportunity to be recognised. This season of IPL will be no different. It will be a perfect blend of new talents and popular veterans.
Batting is one of the most interesting aspects of the T20 format. The role of the batsmen in the fast-paced league is a very attractive one. They are tasked with the responsibility to hit frequent sixes and boundaries when situations demand.
There are some star batsmen in the 2019 IPL. However, some of the top-ranked ICC T20I batsmen don't play the 2019 IPL due to some reasons. Let us have a look at these star batsmen and the reason why they won't play.
#5 D'Arcy Short
As of this writing, D'Arcy Short is the seventh top ICC T20I batsman. He had been among the ICC top 10 T20I batsmen for a while now. Currently, Short has 592 runs in 20 T20I matches. He was the breakout star during Big Bash 2017/18 season.
As a result, he got roped in by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2018 IPL. However, his performance during the season failed to impress the team management. Thus, he was released ahead of the 2019 IPL.
Short's release doesn't mean that he is underperforming recently. The southpaw is still at his absolute best. He was exceptional during BBL 2018/19 where he notched up 637 runs from 15 matches with an average of 53.08.
With enough chances, the Australian batsman can prove to be the next big thing in IPL but that doesn't seem to happen this year. The IPL teams had surely suspected him to be a World Cup probable player and his base price of ₹2.00 crores must have sounded a bit high for them. Thus, he went unsold at the auctions.
#4 Hazratullah Zazai
Hazratullah Zazai shows a lot of potentials even at a young age and from a seemingly new international cricket team. Players like him make the Afghanistan team look promising. As of this writing, Zazai holds the sixth spot in the ICC T20I Rankings for batsmen.
So far, Zazai has scored 378 runs in 6 T20I matches with an average of 75.6 and a strike rate of 192.86. Yes, he is a little inexperienced but his stats clearly show that he can turn into a force with more opportunities.
Hazratullah Zazai was also remarkable during the Afghanistan Premier League 2018. He was the top run scorer for Kabul Zwanan with 322 runs in 10 matches. He even created history during one of the matches with six sixes in an over.
However, IPL teams for some unknown reasons chose to bypass this youngster quietly. As a result, he found no buyers in the auctions despite his base price being just ₹50.0 lakhs. It was really surprising that they overlooked such a talented player.
Maybe the IPL teams will change their mind next year as Zazai would be a bit more experienced.
#3 Aaron Finch
As of now, the Australian captain Aaron Finch is the 4th top T20I batman according to the ICC Rankings. With 1500+ T20I runs in 50+ games, Finch looks like a perfect choice for any IPL team. However, the opening batsman will not be featured in the 2019 IPL.
This is due to the fact that Finch would be playing the 2019 World Cup. An IPL participation prior to the grand event would make him a bit fatigued. Thus, Finch opted-out from playing in the 2019 season of Indian Premier League.
His experience and swashbuckling batting would be missed during this year's IPL. Meanwhile, the Australian captain has a series against Pakistan at UAE to focus on during the initial days of IPL.
Finch was successful in BBL 2018/19 season as he led Melbourne Renegades to their first BBL trophy. He also led Australia to a series win against India during their tour to the nation earlier this year. Hopefully, he participates in the next IPL season.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL points table 2019, schedule, news, live scores, orange cap, purple cap and fantasy tips.
#2 Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell is one of a kind batsman and all-rounder. He has a huge fan following in India due to his impressive IPL stints. Maxi has more than 1000 runs in the Indian Premier League. He certainly deserves regular participation in the tournament.
However, the Australian all-rounder will not be playing the 2019 IPL due to his decision to focus on the upcoming World Cup. Maxwell along with Finch had opted out of IPL despite a strong performance in India earlier this year.
Maxwell not performing in the IPL doesn't hurt him by any means. It is, however, a big loss to the IPL teams. Maxwell actually captained Melbourne Stars to the finals of the Big Bash League 2018/19. He has what it takes to lead from the front and score big runs.
As of this writing, the 30-year-old is the third top batsman in ICC T20I Rankings. He is also the top all-rounder according to ICC T20I Rankings for all-rounders.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on orange cap, points table, schedule, news, live scores, orange cap and fantasy tips.
#1 Babar Azam
Babar Azam playing in the Indian Premier League may not be happening for the unforeseeable future. This is attributable to the political tensions between India and Pakistan. In fact, no Pakistan cricketers are allowed to participate in the IPL regardless of their talent.
Babar Azam is widely regarded as the Virat Kohli of Pakistan. Although the batsman opines that he is not as big a player as Virat, still he is a very talented individual from Pakistan team.
The 24-year-old has made 1182 runs in 29 T20I games with an average of 53.73. In the recent edition of PSL, Babar has notched 335 runs in 11 innings. As far as the ICC Rankings are concerned, Babar Azam is the no.1 T20I batsman with 885 points.
Babar Azam is surely a player deserving of an IPL opportunity, but it looks unlikely that he would ever get to play unless the IPL is shifted to some other location. However, we can expect to see him in the World Cup and other league competitions around the world.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on purple cap, points table, schedule, news, live scores, orange cap and fantasy tips.
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