IPL 2019: 'X-factor' players in each team

The Indian Premier League enters its 12th edition in 2019, and as always there will be some surprises in store for us this time around as well, as it has been over the last 11 years.

While the consistent players are important to any team especially in a long tournament like IPL, it is those X-factor players that can change the outcome of the match.

X-factor player is the one that will energize a team when the team is lacking, the player that will score a crucial boundary when the game is on the line or take a wicket or two to turn the game when the opposition seems to be cruising to the victory.

So, the X-factor wouldn’t necessarily be a guy like Dinesh Karthik, who is the leader of the team. The X factor would be his teammate, Andre Russell. He doesn’t dominate in scoring, wicket-taking, etc. but when the game is on the line, he seemingly does whatever is needed to win the basketball game. Whether it is hitting a big shot, taking a crucial wicket, or making an excellent dive on the boundary.

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#8 Delhi Capitals - Chris Morris

One of the three players DC retained ahead of the mega Auction

Probably one of the most underrated match-winner of this current generation will be the X-factor for Delhi Capitals in the tournament to follow.

One of the major reason for Delhi's horrible season in 2017 was the absence of their premier game changer for the most part of the league matches. Capitals found it difficult to find the right combination throughout the season, but with Chris Morris returning one can expect the fortune to change for the team in red, and blue.

In the 52 matches that Morris has played in IPL, he has scored close to 500 runs at a strike rate of 166.66 and has taken 56 wickets with a decent economy rate of 7.75.

#7 Kings XI Punjab - Varun Chakravathy

8.4 Crore Mystery Spinner

The major talking point of the IPL Auction 2019 was Kings XI Punjab breaking the bank for an unknown commodity from Tamil Nadu. One of the biggest reason for this buy is that he is a mystery spinner, and he is still unknown to many players.

If one looks at the history of T20 cricket, it is the mystery spinners that have been the game changers in many teams. Sunil Narine for Kolkata Knight Riders and West Indies, Ajantha Mendis for Sri Lanka, Suraj Randiv for Sri Lanka, and Kuldeep Yadav for India and KKR are few of the most successful spinners, and their biggest weapon was their mystery.

But with the increase in technology, the batsmen are able to figure out the action, and it is difficult for a mystery spinner to survive after a few initial seasons.

A relatively new Varun Chakravathy can be dangerous with his mysterious action. Only time will tell whether he will thrive or perish in the coming seasons, but he will be the X-factor in this season.

#6 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Shimron Hetmyer

Can make his debut in style.

What better way for a non-IPL star to make an impact than coming to India, and thrashing some of the best bowlers of that India has to offer. Shimron Hetmyer did this with some style. The only time West Indians stood a chance at winning the match was when Hetmyer was smashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

These performances saw the Royal Challengers Bangalore buying this young man for a whopping 4.2 Crores at the Auction. The reason for naming Shimron Hetmyer as the X-factor ahead of players like Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers as they can also change the course of a match, but they are ones to play the anchor of the innings as well, and Hetmyer's only job in the team is to see and hit.

He can do what Glenn Maxwell did with Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 edition of IPL. If Shimron can get going in this IPL, a maiden IPL trophy is definitely in the sights of RCB.

#5 Mumbai Indians - Hardik Pandya

He will be key for Mumbai success in this tournament

Mumbai Indians have produced a lot of young talents in the past. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana all came under the Mumbai Indians management, but Hardik Pandya is easily the biggest T20 star produced by the team in blue.

Every time things sort of happen around Hardik Pandya, and this is the type of player who is more valuable in the team. Aggressive, and flamboyant, his skills as a finisher will play a major role in this big tournament.

In the 50 IPL matches that Pandya has played for Mumbai, he scored more than 650 runs and has also taken 28 wickets. With maturity, and experience these numbers are bound to increase.

Hardik Pandya along with his Krunal Pandya will be the key to Mumbai' success in this IPL tournament.

#4 Rajasthan Royals - Jofra Archer

His death bowling skills will be put to

test

Rajasthan Royals had a poor IPL season 11 even after finishing 4th in the table. Their success was mostly because of the rich vein of form of Jos Buttler. The one of the good thing to come out of the tournament apart from Buttler was the emergence of Jofra Archer.

At any time in the match, Ajinkya Rahane had Jofra to throw the ball to. With the large square boundaries in Rajasthan, and Archer's ability to hit the deck hard came blended very well.

RR will be looking towards their game changer in him to step up when the senior players in the team leave for International duty.

In the 10 IPL matches that the speedster from Barbados played, he managed to take 15 wickets at an economy rate of 8.37 which is decent for a death bowler.

#3 Kolkata Knight Riders - Andre Russell

Probably the biggest match-winner in IPL history

In a team filled with players like Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Carlos Brathwaite, it is difficult to pick the biggest X-factor for a team's success, but with Andre Russell being the biggest match-winner, he will be the X-factor for KKR.

Russell can take the game away from the opponents in the span of few overs. In the 50 IPL matches that he has played, he has managed to score nearly 900 runs at a mind-blowing strike rate of 177.29 and has also been able to take 44 wickets.

Russell's ability to hit huge sixes in death overs make him a priceless component in any lineup while he can also be just as impressive with the ball as well. Like Hardik Pandya, things seem to happen when Andre Russell is playing. In a CPL match earlier this year, he scored 121 runs in 49 balls, and also got a hat-trick with the ball, in the process becoming only the second player to do so.

#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad - Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan looked in great touch both with the ball and bat in the Big Bash League

The Afghanistan sensation, Rashid Khan, needs no introduction as he is one of the top ranking bowlers in ODIs and T20Is. In IPL history, he has picked up 38 wickets in 31 matches at an impressive economy of 6.69.

Nobody has taken more wickets in T20 in this year than Rashid Khan. In the 57 T20 matches that he has played in 2018, Rashid has taken 89 wickets at an economy rate of mere 6.47.

He has improved his batting skills as well, as he finished few games for his team in the Afghanistan Premier League.

With the skills that Rashid Khan, he is the X-factor of any team that he plays. Once again he will be crucial for SRH's success in this tournament.

SRH will be hoping for another sensational outing from Rashid and provide them with match-winning performances.

#1 Chennai Super Kings - Mahendra Singh Dhoni

MS was on a roll in the last season

IPL season 11 saw the team from Chennai lifting the IPL for a record 3rd time. While Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, and Dwayne Bravo played some match-winning performance, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who was the X-factor in CSK reaching the finals and winning the tournament.

In the 16 matches that MS played in IPL 2018, he scored 455 runs at a humongous strike rate of 150. This stint with the bat combined with the shrewd tactics in the field was one of the important factors in CSK's success.

CSK will be looking at its captain to once again to lead the way with the bat win some crunch matches like he has done many times with the bat.

Comment on whom you feel are the X-factors for each team in the IPL. Also read: Strong T20 XI featuring IPL captains.