IPL 2019: Top 5 Australian players to watch out for

The recently concluded IPL auction witnessed a lot of drama. Mystery spinners and Indian pacers got the biggest bucks as expected. Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy are the most expensive buys in the IPL 2019 auction.

Meanwhile, there were some renowned Australian players such as Shaun Marsh, who went unsold in the auction. D'Arcy Short was another name that found no takers in this season. Aaron Finch, MitchellStarc, Pat Cummins, and Glenn Maxwell did not take part in the auction.

James Pattinson, Dan Christian, James Pattinson, Fawad Ahmed, Kane Richardson, Ben Laughlin, Alex Carey, Adam Zampa, and James Faulkner are a few other prominent names snubbed at the auction. However, there are still a few Aussie players who found takers.

2019 is going to be a busy year, especially for the Invincibles. A reason why many players did not receive hefty sums can also be that the Australian board will be calling them back for a pre-World Cup preparatory camp. Hence, these players will have to miss out a few of the last weeks of IPL 2019.

There are still a lot of Australian players that can make a huge impact in the coming season even if they are available for a limited time. Without further ado, let us dive into analyzing who these 5 players are.

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#5 Nathan Coulter-Nile (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Nathan Coulter-Nile

Nathan Coulter-Nile was picked up by RCB during the 2018 action but could not do much for them last time around as he was ruled out for most of the season due to injury.

In the 26 IPL matches he has played so far, the 31-year-old has picked up an impressive 36 wickets at an economy rate of 7.66, an average of 19.97, and strike rate of 15.64.

The Western Australia speedster has been bought for huge sums previously (₹ 3.5 crores by KKR in 2017 and ₹ 4.25 crores by Delhi Daredevils in 2014). He has been a regular part of the Australian team this year and played a part in both T20 and ODI squad.

The Aussie bowler is also handy as a lower order batsman and can score a few quick runs for his team. If he gets back to his best, Coulter-Nile will become one of the go-to players for RCB next season.

#4 Marcus Stoinis (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis was traded for Mandeep Singh and is now a part of RCB squad for next season. The 29-year-old all-rounder failed to make much of an impact last season and did not justify his high price tag of ₹ 6.2 crores.

In the 7 matches he played last season, Stoinis picked up 3 wickets at an economy rate of 10.90. He was also not exceptional in the batting department as he scored only 99 runs.

Stoinis has been in good form recently and is also a part of the current national T20 and ODI squads. He is having a good first-class season for Western Australia.

It is high time Stoinis comes to the party in IPL. A good performance may even help him cement his place in the national team for the World Cup. Hence, he will be leaving no stone unturned and come out all guns blazing in the upcoming IPL.

#3 Billy Stanlake (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Billy Stanlake

Billy Stanlake is an extremely impressive right-arm fast bowler. The 24-year-old has played only six IPL matches so far and managed to pick up seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.33.

The speedster caught attention when he performed well for Australia at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup. However, he is still a very raw talent and has not been able to bring out his best due to injuries.

His lanky figure enables Billy to generate that extra bounce to trouble batsman. He has regularly got opportunities in the national team but is yet to perform on a consistent basis.

The youngster is currently playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League and will look to shine for the Sunrisers Hyderabad when the IPL kickstarts in March. Both these leagues are important for him to make a place for himself in the national team for the 2019 World Cup.

#2 Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab)

Andrew Tye

Andrew Tye was Kings XI Punjab's standout performer in the previous edition of IPL. The right-arm fast-medium bowler was the highest wicket taker of the IPL 2018 as he picked up 24 wickets in 14 matches. The 32-year-old from Perth is a limited overs specialist.

In 20 IPL games, he has picked up 36 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65. Tye's heroics could not help the Punjab-based franchise to earn a place in the playoff place last time and he will hope to make it work this time around. Tye picked up a hat-trick on his debut IPL match for Gujarat Lions in 2017.

Even though Andrew Tye's form has stumbled in the recent past, he is still a terrific prospect and is expected to bounce back strongly in IPL. Watch out for Tye's knuckleballs in the upcoming edition of IPL.

#1 David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

David Warner will have to leave the past behind him and start afresh

David Warner is one of the most experienced players in the IPL. After spending 5 seasons with Delhi, the left-handed batsman moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and has been a vital cog for them ever since.

The Aussie player has hit a staggering 641 runs in IPL 2017, averaging 58.27 with a strike rate of 141.81. These figures helped him secure his second Orange Cap. He also hit a staggering 848 in 2016 IPL to lead Sunrisers to their maiden title. Warner is also the player with the maximum number of half-centuries in the IPL. The 32-year-old also has 3 hundreds to his name.

In 114 IPL matches, Warner has scored 4014 runs at a phenomenal average of 40.55 and a mind-boggling strike rate of 142.14. However, things took a downturn for Warner last season after the ball-tampering incident. Even though the Sunrisers topped the table and reached the final without him, there is a lot more they could have done with him.