IPL 2019: 5 foreigner debutants to watch out for

If you are an ardent fan of the T20 format, and expect fast-paced games, innovation, nail-biting finishes and close contests between bat and ball, then it can be safely assumed that the Indian Premier League hasn't failed you for 11 seasons so far.

Just over a month is left for 23 March 23 2019 to arrive - the day on which IPL 2019 kicks off. The IPL has always been a platform where both Indian and foreign players - both uncapped and high-profile names, have competed against each other and elevated their games.

Every year, talented foreign cricketers carrying high-name value as well as relatively unknown ones join the IPL auction to earn a lucrative contract.

Last year, pacer Jofra Archer debuted in IPL and left everyone impressed with his bowling capabilities. Nepali cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane and Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rehman also made their respective IPL debuts last season and delivered exquisitely whenever they donned their respective team's jerseys. Sam Billings and Lungi Ngidi rose to the occasion as well.

The IPL 2019 auctions led to the acquisition of some exceptional non-Indian cricketers as well as some uncapped non-Indian players. These new entrants have received big pay-cheques for their services, and it will be interesting to see how they repay their respective franchises' investments.

Let us take a look at top 5 foreign cricketers making their debut in IPL 2019.

#1 Shimron Hetmyer (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Hetmyer scored a brilliant ton against India in Nov'18

The explosive Windies batsman was already an obvious choice for the T20 competition given the skills he possesses with the blade. But when the fearless youngster wreaked havoc against India in the ODI series a month prior to the date of auction, he grabbed the attention of every franchise - especially the RCB management, who went on to hire him for a whopping sum of Rs. 4.2 crore.

Shimron Hetmyer's addition to the RCB camp could prove to be a boon for the management, who have revamped the dugout this season. Hetmyer can strike big when batting at No. 4 or No. 5, and has the ability to take the game away from the opposition single-handedly.

#2 Sherfane Rutherford (Delhi Capitals)

Rutherford in CPL 2018

The lethal southpaw from Guyana made headlines by earning an IPL contract from the Delhi Capitals for a handsome fee of Rs. 2 crore. The 20-year old has been delivering brilliantly in various T20 tournaments, like the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada league last year and the CPL 2018.

Playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, Rutherford sparkled with the willow by putting on several quickfire innings to help his team reach the runner-up spot. He was the leading run-scorer in the Global T20 Canada tournament for the Cricket West Indies B Team, with 230 runs in eight matches.

Rutherford could prove to be an ace for the Delhi Capitals. He has the ability to strike clean into the stands against the best of bowlers.

#3 Jason Behrendorff (Mumbai Indians)

Behrendorff in action in the 2nd ODI match between India and Australia in Jan '19

28-year old left-arm Australian pacer Jason Behrendorff is widely considered as a T20 specialist bowler given his magnificent performances in tournaments like The Big Bash League. He has the ability to launch the ball with impressive pace, and can put batsmen in hot water with his high-arm action and different variations.

Behrendorff was recently included in Australia's ODI squad against India, and he led the pace attack by taking 3 wickets in 2 games. He bowled a remarkable spell of 10-2-39-2 in his ODI debut at the iconic SCG.

Last year, Behrendorff was hired by the Mumbai Indians but unfortunately he could not play a single game as he suffered a back injury owing to which he was ruled out from the tournament. Given the valuable asset that he can be, the Mumbai Indians decided to retain him to strengthen their bowling department.

#4 Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Bairstow will be a key player for the Sunrisers

The wicket-keeper batsman from England Jonny Bairstow is a highly reputed name in the sport today. All set to make his IPL debut this year, the explosive Yorkshire batsman will be donning the Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey after they acquired his services for Rs. 2.2 crore.

Bairstow has been in tremendous touch of late with the blade, and was the third highest run-scorer of 2018 in ODIs, only behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Not only can he hammer big shots and score runs quickly, he is also well-known for having a safe pair of hands behind the stumps and hence can serve as an extra wicket-keeping option for SRH.

An aggressive batsman by nature, Bairstow has the ability to take an innings forward both as an opener and as a middle-order batsman. He has a wealth of international cricket experience to his name, which will be of great help for the franchise and the skipper Kane Williamson.

#5 Sam Curran (Kings XI Punjab)

Curran has been exceptional for England

The 20-year-old all-rounder from England Sam Curran was expected to be in huge demand before the auctions. As expected, he started a bidding war which was eventually won by the Kings XI Punjab who hired the talented youngster for a whopping sum of Rs 7.20 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player of IPL 2019.

Curran rose to prominence with some exceptional showings with both ball and ball against India in the Test series last year. He was one of the main reasons behind England's 4-1 win in the series.

Lauded by some of the most high-profile names in cricket like Sachin Tendulkar, Curran has earned the reputation of being one of the most promising cricketers of future.

Curran has displayed great temperament in the shorter versions of the game as well. He is one of the most promising stars of the tournament and the KXIP management would be counting on him to deliver.