IPL 2019: 5 debutants to watch out for this season

With IPL 2019 just around the corner, all the franchises are gearing up to make a claim on the coveted trophy. Even though the core of each franchise is roughly the same as last year, the teams have made some exciting additions to their squad.

All the franchises would be looking to get their combinations right in the early part of the tournament as that would give them the momentum to capitalize and look for a finish in the top four. And as in the case of every IPL season, some players are making their debuts on the back of strong domestic and international performances.

Here, we take a look at five players to watch out for who are making their IPL debut this year.

1. Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer was bought by RCB for a price of Rs. 4.2 crore in the IPL auction on the basis of his performances in the Carribean Premier League and the series against India. He has scored 549 runs in 22 innings in T20s at a strike rate of 140.05. with a century and two half centuries against his name.

Hetmyer is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball, and on his day can smash any bowling attack. His recent century against England in the ODI series gave us an indication of his potential; he will certainly be a big part of RCB's plans this year.

RCB would look for Hetmyer to up the scoring ante in the company of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. The team missed the hitting abilities of someone like Chris Gayle in the last season, and would certainly hope Hetmyer can fill in the giant shoes of the 'Universe Boss'.

2. Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube is a young and exciting Indian all-rounder who recently made a name for himself with his performances in the domestic circuit. He has been described as the cleanest hitter for India since Yuvraj Singh.

His performance was recognized by RCB who bought him at a whopping price of Rs 5 crores.

Dube has a strike rate of 147.44 in T20s. Besides his hitting skills, he also can roll over his arm and bowl medium pace, which would certainly help his team as bowling is not RCB's strong suit.

3. Ashton Turner

Ashton Turner

Indian fans would certainly remember Ashton Turner for a long time because of his match-winning innings last week in Mohali. He is expected to debut for Rajasthan Royals in the latter half of tournament, when Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are expected to join the England squad.

Turner has the ability and temperament to finish matches, and his captaincy experience in the Big Bash can certainly help in tough match situations.

4. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy

Very little was known about Varun Chakravarthy before Punjab decided to buy him for a staggering amount of Rs. 8.4 crore in the IPL auction. He was scouted at the Tamil Nadu Premier League, where he impressed everyone with his variations.

Varun's variations include googly, leg break, off break, carrom ball, flipper and top spinner. How his variations work in the IPL is a mystery for both the batsmen and the audience.

5. Anrich Nortje

Anrich Nortje

Anrich Nortje is a steal for KKR at a price of Rs. 20 lakh. He is know as a tearway quick at the domestic level.

Nortje recently made his debut for South Africa against Sri Lanka; he took 6 wickets in 3 matches during that series, at an average of 19.17 and a decent economy of 5.23.

Nortje has the potential to be the death bowler that KKR have been looking for since a long time.