IPL History: Top 3 Australian batsmen to have played in the league

Although Australian cricketers may not always endear themselves to neutral fans, no one can deny that they have literally reshaped the face of modern cricket. Aussies are titans and trend-setters in this age of cricket, and they have repeatedly taken the game to new heights.

From the initial days of Steve Waugh to the absolute domination of Ricky Ponting’s men and the re-resurgence under Michael Clarke, the men from Down Under have ruled the game with their skills and power. Their influence on all facets of the game is unparalleled, and the IPL stands as another witness to their cricketing abilities.

The likes of Steven Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon have not been part of the most successful era in Australian cricket, but they are still extremely talented and can challenge the best on any given day.

Barring India, no other country has influenced the IPL as much as the Aussies have done. Here, we look at three of the best batsmen from Australia to have graced the stage at the mecca of T20 cricket:

3. Michael Hussey

Mike 'Mr Cricket' Hussey

The name Michael Hussey is synonymous with consistency of the highest level, and he is rightly nicknamed “Mr Cricket”. The experienced Australian batsman par excellence piled on runs in each IPL season and emerged as one of the league's best performers.

Also see – Big Bash League points table

Hussey, who represented the MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from 2008-2013, played a key role in shouldering the top order responsibilities. While the inaugural edition saw him score a century, the sixth edition had him winning the orange cap for emerging as the season's leading run scorer with 733 runs.

In fact, Hussey's heroics as the team's opening batsmen wEre instrumental in ensuring CSK lifted the title in two consecutive years - 2010 and 2011.

The man from Western Australia represented Mumbai Indians in 2014 before returning to Chennai in 2015 for his final season in the IPL. Hussey amassed 1977 runs in 59 IPL games at an impressive average of 38.76 and strike rate of 122.64.

2. Shane Watson

Shane Watson

Despite seeing a blip in form last season, former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson is one of the most consistent performers in the tournament's history. A powerful striker of the ball who can take any bowling attack to the cleaners, Watson played a key role in getting Rajasthan Royals their only IPL title under the able leadership of Shane Warne.

The right-handed batsman mauled the bowlers with disdain as he single-handedly won multiple games for RR. With 543 runs, he emerged as one of the leading run-scorers in the sixth edition of the IPL.

Watto, as he is popularly known, led the charge at Rajasthan Royals for the first eight seasons before travelling down south to Bengaluru in 2016. In 134 IPL matches, the man from Queensland scored 3575 runs at an average of 31.08 and a strike rate of 139.53, with four centuries and 19 fifties.

He was picked up by Chennai Super Kings in 2018, a decision that evoked strong reactions from experts and fans. Watto was far from his peak at that time and with age not being on his side, he added to the ‘’Daddy’s Army’’, as the team was termed.

But the talented all-rounder silenced everyone with a resounding century in the finals against SRH that helped CSK to yet another IPL title. He is clearly among the best players in IPL history, not just from Australia.

1. David Warner

David Warner

David Warner made his IPL debut in 2009 for Delhi Daredevils. However, it was at the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp where Warner took major strides towards becoming one of the greatest batsmen in the tournament's history.

After a decent stint with DD during his first five years in IPL, Warner was signed by SRH in 2014. The swashbuckling southpaw soon got into the thick of things as his match-winning knocks propelled the Orange Army to their maiden title in 2016.

A batsman who can dismantle any bowling attack on his day, Warner finished as the franchise's leading run-scorer on several occasions. He also holds the distinction of being the only player to be awarded the Orange Cap thrice in the tournament's history.

Warner is like the Virat Kohli of the IPL; he breaks records at will. He has the most runs scored by an overseas player (4706), most half-centuries (44) and the highest individual score by a captain (126) in the history of the IPL. And not to forget he has won the Orange Cap three times, which is more than greats like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle.

Post the one-year ban after the Sandpaper-gate scandal, Davey bounced back in resounding fashion as he finished IPL 2019 with 692 runs in 12 games. His opening partnership with English batsman Jonny Bairstow was among the most pleasing sights in last year’s IPL.