'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Even though there are still a few months to go for the IPL, the buzz around the biggest T20 tournament in the world has already started. The auction took place in December and all the teams are ready with their respective squads and now it is all about going and performing on the field.
The IPL is scheduled to start on 23rd March and the most important news is that the whole tournament would be played in India. Due to the elections, there were talks that it would shift to South Africa or UAE but it is going to be held in India. A problem revolving around the IPL is the availability of the overseas players.
The World Cup starts just after the IPL. Due to this reason, many teams want their players back well before the World Cup and hence there are high chances that many players would miss a part of the IPL. So the franchises have picked players who would be available for the whole season. This will lead to many new overseas players in this IPL. Let’s have a look at five overseas players who would be part of the IPL for the first time.
#5 Oshane Thomas (RR)
Oshane Thomas, the Windies quick bowler, made a name for himself when he made his debut against India in the limited-overs formats. He bowled really fast and hurried some of the Indian batsmen.
He troubled the Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who was dismissed quite a few times by the quick bowler. In his initial overs, he bowled in the high 140s and even crossed the 150 mark occasionally. The 21-year-old quick was the second highest leading wicket-taker in the CPL as he picked up 18 wickets in 10 games at an average of 17.67.
There is a possibility that Jofra Archer might have to leave early if he gets selected for England in the World Cup. In that case, Rajasthan would definitely need a quick bowler as a replacement. Thomas could be the perfect one. They could even unleash both of them if the pitch is a bit quick and bouncy.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL news, IPL schedule, points table, live scores, fantasy tips and stats.
#4 Jason Behrendoff (MI)
Jason Behrendoff was picked by Mumbai Indians in the last year’s auction for Rs 1.5 Crore. Unfortunately, he got injured before the IPL and couldn’t take part last year. MI retained him this year and he would be part of the IPL for the first time.
The 28-year-old is a good left-arm fast bowler from Western Australia. He swings the ball both ways at the start of the innings. He plays for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He showed what he is capable of when he came to India in 2017 for the T20Is and picked up four wickets for just 21 runs in the second T20I match at Guwahati.
His spell of four overs helped Australia bowl out India for just 118. His four scalps included India’s dominant top 3 and Manish Pandey. He had a good ODI debut as well, as he picked up two wickets in the first ODI against India.
He will be eager to perform for MI in the 12th season of the IPL.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL news, IPL schedule, points table, live scores, fantasy tips and stats.
#3 Sam Curran (KXIP)
Sam Curran has been picked by the Kings XI Punjab in this year’s auction for a whopping 7.2 crore. There was always going to be a huge bidding war for the Englishman after his exploits at the highest level. He has been terrific for England in the longest format especially against India where he turned some of the games single-handedly.
He even won the Man of the Series Award for his great performance. Having a seam-bowling all-rounder is always a bonus and KXIP have got it. Add to that, he is a left-arm seamer which is a bonus as there aren’t many left-arm quicks.
The 20-year-old all-rounder will be available for the whole season which is great news for the KXIP franchise. The only concern is that he hasn’t really played a lot of white-ball cricket at the highest level. The IPL would definitely be a huge challenge for him and it would be fun to watch a youngster take up that challenge.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL news, IPL schedule, points table, live scores, fantasy tips and stats.
#2 Shimron Hetmyer (RCB)
Shimron Hetmyer was always going to be a hot pick in the auction after he showed his capability in India last year. The left-hander was picked by RCB for Rs 4.2 Crore. He was sensational in the ODI series against India as he scored a century in the first match and then backed it up with a 94 in the second.
He is a hard-hitter and his game is suited to the shortest format. RCB needed a middle-order batsman to support Kohli and AB and Hetmyer might be that man. Hetmyer, alongside Shivam Dube, could form a formidable pair in the middle-order. The 22-year-old batsman scored 440 runs in 12 innings at an average of 40 in the last year’s CPL. He was scoring runs at a strike-rate of 148.15. He even scored a hundred in just 49 balls.
This is the first time he will be part of the biggest T20 league in the world, and it would be interesting to see as to how he handles the pressure.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL news, IPL schedule, points table, live scores, fantasy tips and stats.
#1 Jonny Bairstow (SRH)
Jonny Bairstow has been trying to get an IPL contract for the last 2-3 years and this year he has finally got it. He was one of the three buys which SRH made in this year’s auction. He was picked up for a cheap price of just 2.2 Crore. Looking at his current form and how effortlessly he shifts from one format to other, it would be fair to say that Bairstow is a steal for SRH.
He is an integral part of the England ODI team which play the World Cup and so he won’t be available for the whole season but still, SRH would love to have him till he is available. He is one of the best white-ball openers going around in the world right now. Although he is a wicket-keeper it won’t be surprising if he plays as a pure batsman.
The only question which SRH need to look into is where is he going to bat because they already have two great openers in Warner and Williamson. They might push Williamson at No.3 and ask Bairstow to open along with Warner. One thing is for sure, it would be great entertainment for the crowd if Warner and Bairstow open together in this IPL.
Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL news, IPL schedule, points table, live scores, fantasy tips and stats.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
