IPL 2019: 5 Players to watch out for

With the Indian Premier League right around the corner, franchises will be busy scouting other franchises to strategize more effectively. While certain players are very well known due to their experience in the IPL, there are a few players fans may not be aware of.

These are the players that are more than capable of taking the game away from the opposition at any moment and teams will be wise to keep an eye out for such underestimated hidden gems. Every season has produced such players who have put on scintillating performances for their respective franchises and the same is expected this year as well.

That being said, here’s a look at the 5 players to watch out for in their year’s IPL. Players have been included in this list on the basis of their recent form and abilities.#5

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#5 Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab)

Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy is a mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu who captured everyone’s attention when he was bagged for INR 8.4 crore during the IPL Auctions. Fans were left wondering more about the young bowler.

Varun is known for his seven variations with the ball and he rose to prominence in the Tamil Nadu Premier League where he played for the Siechem Madurai Panthers. He scalped a total of 9 wickets in 10 games at a very good economy rate of 4.70.

He was deceiving batsmen left, right and center. In fact, he was instrumental in the Madurai Panthers lifting their maiden TNPL trophy.

It will be interesting to see how well he performs in the IPL since very little is known of him. A lot will be expected of him considering his heavy price tag. He is definitely one of their players to watch out for.

#4 Ashton Turner (Rajasthan Royals)

Ashton Turner

Rajasthan Royals may have just hit the jackpot with their purchase of Ashton Turner for just INR 50 lakh. Turner is in great form in the ongoing Big Bash League where he has scored some useful runs for his team.

His highest score in the BBL was a devastating 36-ball 60 that nearly helped his team Perth Scorchers defeat the Sydney Thunder. He followed that up with another useful score of 47 runs from just 30 deliveries.

He could be useful to the Royals in the middle order particularly at number 4. The fact that very little is know of the 25-year old all-rounder could work in his favor. Moreover, he is most likely to be available for the entire tournament unless he gets selected to represent Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

His tenacity with the bat and ball coupled with his recent form make him a dangerous player that coaches will be studying very closely.

#3 Quinton de Kock (Mumbai Indians)

Quinton de Kock

Though Quinton de Kock hasn’t had a good run in the IPL, he has shown glimpses of his capabilities in 2016 when he played for Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils). But that was as good as it got for the South African wicket-keeper batsman and he soon found himself performing poorly.

However, de Kock has had a resurgence in form in the recently concluded Mzansi Super League where he was their second-highest run scorer with 412 runs in 8 matches. He also scored a century and 3 fifties with a high score of 108.

He is a great addition to the Mumbai Indians squad and will play a prominent role as an opener. If de Kock’s form carries over from the Mzansi Super League, then MI will have a great chance of making the playoffs.

Quinton is a big match player and is more than capable of playing the big shots for his team. Teams will look to dismiss him early in the innings. His current form and skills indicate that he is one of the players to looks out for during the upcoming season of the IPL.

#2 Shimron Hetmyer (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer rose to prominence during West Indies’ tour of India when he hammered a blistering century (106 runs from 78 balls) in the opening ODI. He followed that up with 64-ball 94 in the 2nd ODI.

His performances raised a lot of eyebrows and RCB bagged him for a relative steal of INR 4.2 crores. He will be used to fill RCB’s void of not having a proper middle order batsman to bat after AB de Villiers.

His destructive batting could very well complement de Villiers’ batting style and the duo could put on some scintillating performances. Hetmyer’s availability for the entire season is another bonus for the Royal Challengers Bangalore who will capitalize on this opportunity to march towards their first IPL win.

#1 Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow had a breakout year in 2018. The English batsman was one of the leading run scorers of the year with 1025 runs to his name from just 22 ODI matches. His most notable performances came against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia. He finished the year with a total of 4 centuries and 2 half centuries.

With David Warner’s return to the franchise this year, it will be exciting to the see Bairstow and Warner open the batting. This could make for a very interesting dynamic and given his recent form, he is expected to set the tournament ablaze with his amazing batting skills making him the biggest the player to watch out for in this edition of the Indian Premier League.