IPL 2018: 5 players who should be regulars in their team

The Indian Premier League is now in full swing and the race for the playoffs is heating up. Not all the players in the starting XI have fired but teams have stuck with them, instead of dropping them.

Players like Moeen Ali and David Willey are yet to play a match for their respective teams. The management will be tempted to test out the star players who are yet to play a match.

Here's a look at 5 players who should get a long run with their respective franchises.

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#1 Moeen Ali (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Ali has been on the sidelines this season

Moeen Ali was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 1.7 crore. He has been a regular in the England setup for the last couple of years. The Birmingham-born player has been on the bench due to the team's balance and other factors. He is a versatile cricketer and he can be effective with the bat or ball in any situation. He has the ability to open the innings or play the role of a finisher. His off-spin is very effective and he is a very economical bowler.

His T20 stats are very impressive. He has an average of 23 with the bat and a strike rate of 129. He has bowled 86 times and picked up 69 wickets at an average of 27, with his economy rate of 7.38 being brilliant in the shortest format of the game.

He can replace Quinton De Kock and RCB can get Parthiv Patel into the side for wicket-keeping. Moeen is a versatile player and he allows RCB to change their combination.

#2 Colin de Grandhomme (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Colin de Grandhomme was in KKR in 2017

Colin de Grandhomme was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 2.2 crore. He represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017. The Kiwi all-rounder has been an important player for New Zealand for the last year and a half. The Zimbabwe-born lad has the ability to tonk the ball. His medium pace is very effective.

He average's 24 with the bat and has a phenomenal strike rate of 168. He has bowled 92 times and picked up 54 wickets at an average of 34 and he has an economy rate of 9.24.

He can replace Corey Anderson in the RCB team. Corey hasn't been in great form whereas de Grandhomme is a match winner, who is yet to play a match.

#3 Sandeep Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Sandeep Sharma should be a regular

Sandeep Sharma was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 3 crore. He has the ability to move the ball both ways. He was expected to play a key role for the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season but he has played only 2 matches so far. He has played those 2 matches due to Bhuvneshwar Kumar's fitness issues. The former Kings XI Punjab speedster is a proven performer in the IPL.

His T20 statistics are superb. He has picked up 99 wickets in 83 matches at an average of 23, AND his economy rate of 7.53 is brilliant for someone who bowls in the power play and at the death.

Sandeep, who played in SRH’s last match due to Bhuvneshwar'S injury shouldn’t be removed from the starting XI. He can form a lethal new ball pair with Bhuvi. He is very effective at the death overs as well.

#4 Alex Hales (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Alex Hales was a replacement for Warner

Alex Hales was brought into the SRH squad as David Warner's replacement after his suspension. He is one of the most aggressive opening batsmen in the world. The Englishman was expected to slot straight into the SRH playing XI but he is yet to play a match.

He averages 29 with the bat and has a phenomenal strike rate of 144. He has played in T20 leagues all around the world.

SRH could accommodate him into the playing XI by dropping Mohammad Nabi. SRH has depended on Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson for scoring runs and they would want to beef up their batting line-up and there is no better batsman on the bench for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

#5 David Willey (Chennai Super Kings)

David Willey was brought on board for Kedar Jadhav

David Willey was brought into the Chennai Super Kings' squad as Kedar Jadhav's replacement after he suffered an injury. He is the perfect T20 cricketer. He can open the innings with the bat or ball. He can also bat or ball at the death overs, which makes him a must-have in the shortest format of the game.

His T20 stats are phenomenal. He averages 23 with the bat and he has a strike rate of 143. He has bowled 125 times and picked up 143 wickets at an average of 22, his economy rate being under 7.5.

CSK can play him by dropping Faf Du Plessis. They can play him as an opening batsman who bowls 4 overs. They also have the option of playing him as a specialist bowler. He is like Moeen Ali and he allows the team to change their combination.