IPL 2021: 5 new buys who impressed in Week 1

The usual suspects like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson and Shikhar Dhawan played glorious innings in the first week of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). There were also several new buys who made their mark and showcased the treasure trove of talent present in the tournament.

While some of these players moved around from franchise to franchise before finally impressing in this edition, some were IPL debutants who made match-winning contributions.

With all sides having played two games each, there is still a long way to go in the tournament. Although certain sides like the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders seem to have settled on an XI they can play every game of the season with, the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals can be expected continuously rotate players based on form and conditions.

Here are the top 5 new buys who impressed during Week 1 of IPL 2021.

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#5 Shahrukh Khan (IPL 2021: PBKS)

Shahrukh Khan's fighting contribution when his team crumbled around him was a good sign for PBKS.

Shahrukh Khan's first game of the IPL hardly saw him get game time, with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) top order doing the damage against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the highest-scoring contest of the first week so far. It was in the second game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), amid a woeful batting collapse, that he got an opportunity to prove himself.

Shahrukh's 47 off 36 balls, when the next highest was a paltry 15 off 22 balls by Jhye Richardson, showcased that PBKS might be one step closer to resolving one of their biggest issues this auction cycle - a fragile middle order. On better days where one or more of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle get going, Shahrukh's proven ability could hold PBKS in good stead.

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#4 Chetan Sakariya (IPL 2021: RR)

Chetan Sakariya appears to be a long-term asset for RR.

RR's first outing with the ball, the aforementioned high-scoring encounter against PBKS, was largely forgettable as most of their bowlers were taken to the cleaners in the absence of an enforcer like Jofra Archer. However, one player stood out despite the otherwise runious display.

Playing ahead of RR's long-term investment Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya showed his skillset with the ball, picking up a very handy 3/31 to bring his team back into the contest. The left-arm pace bowler also plucked a stunner of a catch to prove his worth to the team as a young cricketer.

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#3 Chris Morris (IPL 2021: RR)

After a shaky start, Chris Morris came into his own in the second game for RR.

Bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2020 to boost their death-bowling options and finish games with the bat, Chris Morris became the most expensive buy in IPL auction history in 2021. In the first game, there were many doubts about his ability to justify the tag, as he was expensive with the ball and was lacklustre when finishing the game.

Although the second game against the Delhi Capitals (DC) started out in an indifferent vein - one wicket, and a strike rate of 100 in a tall chase at one stage - Morris came into his own. He carted sixes on a track where most batsmen found that difficult and won the game for his team with two balls to spare. With Archer missing for some time, Morris' all-round capabilities are vital for RR.

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#2 Moeen Ali (IPL 2021: CSK)

Moeen Ali has shone for CSK at the No. 3 position.

Moeen Ali spent two years playing for the Virat Kohli-led RCB unit, where muddled thinking meant either expectations from him were too high or he never got a guaranteed spot. However, 2021 was a different story as he was paid a sizeable sum to join CSK as a stable top-order batting all-rounder.

So far, Moeen has looked terrific for the Men in Yellow, with his cameos at the top at a good strike rate effectively setting a platform for the finishers in the team. He has also contributed with the ball, providing MS Dhoni with better options than those that were available last year at the franchise.

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#1 Glenn Maxwell (IPL 2021: RCB)

Glenn Maxwell appears to have finally found IPL form.

Glenn Maxwell has earned a fortune in the IPL after consistently putting up lacklustre performances. Still, franchises invest in him due to his ability to change the game like he did in IPL 2014, or like he routinely does with the Australian team batting in the middle order.

It is unclear what clicked in the RCB setup, but after several years we see Maxwell back to strong form, with a fifty and another 30-plus cameo already from the first two games. The ability to play alongside greats of the game like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers probably removes the over-dependency that franchises tend to have had on the all-rounder.

Maxwell has been able to play his natural game and has propelled RCB to the top of the points table after two games.