IPL 2020: One player from each team who impressed the most

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) recently came to a close in the UAE, with the Mumbai Indians finishing as the champions for a record fifth time.

Over the course of the two-month-long tournament, many players showcased their skills at the highest level and made a name for themselves in trying conditions.

---

IPL 2020: One player from each team who impressed the most

In this article, we take a look at one player from each team who exceeded expectations to impress us the most.

For example, KL Rahul finished on top of the IPL 2020 Orange Cap list with a whopping 670 runs, but he hasn't been considered because he was expected to do so anyway.

Here is one player from each team who impressed the most in IPL 2020.

---

#8 Rajasthan Royals - Rahul Tewatia

Tewatia won a couple of games single-handedly

Rahul Tewatia wasn't a name that was on many people's lips ahead of IPL 2020, and with only 20 games in the league prior to this edition of the tournament, that was quite understandable. But the confident all-rounder has now become a household name thanks to his exploits for RR.

Tewatia pulled off a couple of run-chases single-handedly for Steve Smith's side, and even hit Sheldon Cottrell for 5 sixes in a single over in a game against KXIP. With the ball, he was accurate and effective, as he picked up 10 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.08.

Tewatia established himself as an all-rounder who can contribute in both departments, and most importantly, gained a ton of confidence thanks to his IPL 2020 performances.

---

#7 Kings XI Punjab - Ravi Bishnoi

Bishnoi showed great confidence and control in IPL 2020

KXIP looked a bit thin in the spin department in the lead-up to IPL 2020, but Ravi Bishnoi led the attack right from the very first game. The leggie played all 14 games for KL Rahul's side and picked up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.37.

Bishnoi was up to the task of bowling in the powerplay and at the death, and showed great accuracy and guile for a man so young. He certainly would've learned a lot under the watchful eyes of Anil Kumble, and will only get better with time.

---

#6 Delhi Capitals - Anrich Nortje

Nortje was the fastest bowler on display in IPL 2020

Signed as a replacement for Chris Woakes, Anrich Nortje exceeded all expectations to finish in the top 5 of the IPL 2020 Purple Cap list. The South African formed a lethal partnership with countryman Kagiso Rabada, and broke the record for the fastest ball(s) delivered in the history of the IPL.

Nortje scalped 22 wickets in 16 games, and was one of the team's key players on their run to their first-ever IPL final. He will take great heart from his exploits this year, and definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

---

#5 Sunrisers Hyderabad - Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma reached the 100 IPL wickets milestone

Sandeep Sharma has taken 109 wickets in 92 IPL games, and although he doesn't get as much recognition as he deserves, he was expected to do well for SRH with the new ball. But the reason he makes it onto this list is the way he stepped up to the plate in the absence of spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Sandeep showed great control over his swing, and bowled a variety of slower balls that were almost impossible to get away. The former KXIP pacer finished with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.19 - extremely impressive considering he bowled exclusively in the powerplay and at the death.

---

#4 Kolkata Knight Riders - Varun Chakravarthy

Chakravarthy registered the only 5-for in IPL 2020

Varun Chakravarthy wasn't expected to become a regular in the KKR playing XI due to the presence of Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine, but he quickly gained the trust of his captain(s).

The mystery spinner showed great control over his variations, and bamboozled the best of batsmen to finish with 17 wickets in the tournament. Chakravarthy even earned a maiden call-up to the national side as he was picked in the T20I squad for the Australia tour, but was then ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

---

#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Devdutt Padikkal

Padikkal scored heaps of runs for RCB at the top of the order

Devdutt Padikkal announced himself on the IPL stage with a fifty on debut in RCB's first game against SRH, and didn't look back. The elegant southpaw scored 473 runs in 15 games to finish as his team's leading run-scorer, and registered as many as 5 fifties in the competition.

Padikkal was confident and calm, and although he struggled a bit once the field restrictions were lifted, he was an assured presence in the RCB batting lineup and one of the biggest reasons why they made the playoffs.

The 20-year-old exhibited a maturity far beyond his years, and we could see him make the step up to the Indian team within the next few years.

---

#2 Chennai Super Kings - Sam Curran

Curran was CSK's star player in IPL 2020

One of the most underrated signings from the IPL 2020 auction, Sam Curran made a place in the CSK playing XI his own very early in the tournament.

The 22-year-old picked up 13 wickets to finish as his team's leading wicket-taker, and chipped in with a number of valuable cameos as well.

Although CSK's season didn't go to plan, Curran was a ray of hope for the 3-time champions, and could even be retained ahead of the next mega-auction as they look to invest in youth.

---

#1 Mumbai Indians - Ishan Kishan

Kishan was MI's leading run-scorer in IPL 2020

Ishan Kishan - not Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock or Suryakumar Yadav - was MI's leading run-scorer in IPL 2020. The explosive southpaw scored 516 runs in just 14 games, and showed the ability to stay at the crease for long periods of time without throwing it away for the first time in his short career.

Kishan batted wherever he was asked to by MI, and made telling contributions in the field even though he didn't get to don the gloves. We might see the Jharkhand batsman get a national call-up soon.