IPL 2020: 4 dark horses to watch out for

Indian Premier League has brought surprises each year with unknown players earning the spotlight. The T20 extravaganza has given us many dark horses who gained attention only after their unexpected performances. Players like Sunil Narine, Mike Hussey, Lungi Ngidi, Keemo Paul, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, and many more who came as underdogs, turned out to be the key performers after making crucial contributions for their team.

Coming to IPL 2020, the while the focus is on players like Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell, Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Ben Stokes, Hardik Pandya, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Steve Smith, and KL Rahul, here are 4 dark horses for whom we should keep an eye out for.

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#4 Sam Curran

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got the better of the bid-war against Delhi Capitals (DC) to get the services of Sam Curran for INR 5.5 crores. The English all-rounder made his IPL debut last year for Kings XI Punjab and his more than decent performances earned him a contract for the upcoming season as well.

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The 21-year-old cricketer took a match-winning hat-trick against DC last year that gained him limelight. Curran can swing the new ball and partnering him with Deepak Chahar might turn out to be fruitful for CSK. Furthermore, he has yorkers and slower cutters in his armory which can be useful in the death overs, especially at the slow wicket of Chepauk. The Englishman can also strike the ball coming lower down the order at 6 or 7, and extends the CSK batting order.

With all the attention towards MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, and the spin web of Chennai Super Kings, Sam Curran might turn out to be their unexpected hero and win matches for them in IPL 2020.

#3 Darshan Nalkande

Darshan Nalkande was in red hot form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The right-arm fast bowler plays for Vidarbha in the Indian domestic set-up. Darshan Nalkande had tasted success in this season's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scalping 16 wickets from just 6 matches. In the process, the 21-year-old also picked up a five-wicket haul against Uttar Pradesh, thereby helping his side bundle them for a mere total of 60.

Kings XI Punjab got hold of him ahead of the 2019 season for INR 30 lakhs, but he warmed the bench for the entire season. Going into IPL 2020, he might play a vital role for them as they lack Indian options after trading off Ankit Rajpoot to Rajasthan Royals. Currently, the Punjab-based franchise has only Mohammed Shami as a reliable Indian seam bowling option and they will bank upon either of Chris Jordan and Sheldon Cottrell to support him.

Darshan Nalkande might step on the gas in IPL 2020 and win matches for KXIP. Furthermore, having Anil Kumble as a head coach might turn out to be fruitful for the youngster and the upcoming edition could be his dream launch in the tournament.

#2 Krishnappa Gowtham

IPL 2020 might turn out to be his best season

Krishnappa Gowtham is a genuine all-rounder, an off-spinner who bats lower down the order and plays the role of a finisher. He is not a big turner of the ball but his consistent line and length make him a handy T20 bowler. The Karnataka cricketer has been a part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise for the last two years and warmed the bench for an entire season with Mumbai Indians in 2017.

The 31-year-old hasn't made his mark yet with RR, which led his departure from the Jaipur-based franchise. Ahead of the IPL 2020 auction last month, Kings XI Punjab got him during the mid-season transfer and would be looking to give him a crucial role at number 7 - the one that their former skipper R. Ashwin performed.

Gowtham is in exquisite form as he recently slammed a 56-ball 134 and picked up an 8-wicket hall in a single game of the Karnataka Premier League. Coming to IPL 2020, Gowtham might display similar performances for KXIP.

#1 Tom Banton

Can he provide the firepower at the top for KKR?

England has been consistently generating fearless top-order batsmen from the past few years. Tom Banton is the latest. He is a typical modern-day wicket-keeper batsman who gained limelight in the last season of T20 Blast, the English T20 tournament, where he finished as the second-highest run-getter with 549 runs from 13 matches at a strike-rate of over 160. He scored a match-winning century and 4 fifties in his journey with Somerset.

The 21-year-old cricketer soon earned contracts in other T20 leagues with signings by Brisbane Heat in BBL and Qalandars in PSL and is on a verge to become an IPL superstar. Bagged by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 1 crore, Banton is set to take his first step in the biggest T20 league in the world. Being an unknown commodity for the bowlers, Tom Banton might taste a lot of success as he brings the Chris Lynn-esque batting style to the table, on which the Kolkata-based franchise has thrived in the past.