The Indian Premier League saw a dramatic closing to the group stage of the tournament with Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore not only making a late dash for a top four spot, but also managed to leapfrog Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders to enter the playoffs as the second best-placed team.
The Bangalore franchise were almost out of the reckoning mid-way through the tournament and needed to win their last four games to keep their playoffs hopes alive and they did it in style.
Gujarat Lions were the early pace-setters in the league and finished as the top placed team in the group stages riding on the back of impressive performances from their overseas players coupled with handy contributions from the Indian members of the team.
Suresh Raina returned from Holland, having being blessed with a daughter, and struck two consecutive half-centuries to guide his side over the finish line, en route to becoming the only player in IPL history to qualify for playoffs in every season of the competition since its inception in 2008.
David Warner led the Sunrisers Hyderabad with example, finishing as the second highest run-scorer in the group stage, which included seven half-centuries from the diminutive Australian.
While Kolkata Knight Riders almost looked to have lost the plot as the season reached its business end, they were able to scrape through with a final day win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. The form of Gautam Gambhir’s side was reminiscent of last season, when despite topping the table for most part of the tournament, they were knocked out at the end.
However, despite the stellar performances from some of the stars, these four teams managed to make it to the playoffs due to significant but overlooked contributions of the relatively lesser known players. Here we take a look at the top 10 bargain buys, whom you can include in your fantasy team for the playoffs.
Sachin Baby
The Royal Challengers Bangalore batter has not had as significant an impact as Virat Kohli, but that would be asking too much of him. The captain of Kerala’s limited overs side has scored 104 runs in 9 matches for the Bangalore-based franchise.
Baby has managed to maintain a strike-rate of 153.03 in this season at a more than decent average of 33.66. He has also picked up two wickets for his side in the 10 balls that he has bowled.
Coming at a salary of only 3,000, Baby could prove to be a smart choice for your fantasy team, if you want to save your purse for the big-guns.
Praveen Kumar
The Gujarat Lions spearhead has provided vital breakthroughs for his side and was one of the reasons for their impressive showing in the Powerplay. The former Indian pacer has picked up 9 wickets in 14 matches, but it is his meager economy rate of 7.51, which has impressed the most.
Kumar is a must pick for your fantasy team, especially keeping in mind his relatively low salary of 6,000 and his ability to maintain a low economy rate.
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KL Rahul
In a season, where all batting records fade away in comparison to Virat Kohli’s monstrous 919 runs, Rahul has managed to score 386 runs in 12 games at an incredible average of 55.14 and an amazing strike-rate of 147.89. The wicketkeeper-batsman has been the lynchpin of RCB’s batting, if and when Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have failed, and has demonstrated that he is capable of adjusting his game to suit the shortest format.
Blessed with superb technique and an innate ability to find gaps, Rahul is a steal at 4,500 and guarantees huge returns. The 24-year-old has managed to score 4 half-centuries this season and also keeps for his side, wherein he has effected 9 dismissals.
Sreenath Aravind
The Royal Challengers Bangalore seamer has impressed towards the end of the group stage and managed to pick up 9 wickets in the 7 matches that he played.
The left-arm seamer has a brilliant average of 19.22, making him one of the best bargain buys. Aravind at 4,500 also costs considerably less than other more established bowlers and is almost as capable of picking up the wickets.
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Barinder Sran
Sran has worked in tandem with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman and Ashish Nehra to form the most efficient bowling unit of the tournament. The Haryana-born bowler makes up for his lack of pace with his pinpoint accuracy and has managed to pick up 12 wickets in 11 games for the Sunrisers.
With a salary of only 3,000, Sran is a must have in your fantasy team and almost guarantees a good return, while also not taking a huge chunk out of your war chest.
Deepak Hooda
Costing 6,500, Hooda is not the cheapest of the lot but has impressed towards the business end of the tournament. The all-rounder picked up two wickets in Sunrisers’ last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders and could prove valuable, especially considering that the first eliminator would be against Gautam Gambhir’s side.
The Haryana-born all-rounder has not had the best of tournaments with the bat, averaging slightly above 10, but has managed to score 116 runs in 14 matches at a strike-rate of 124.73, which includes his highest score of 34 that he managed against the Kings Xi Punjab.
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Suryakumar Yadav
The Kolkata Knight Riders batsman stepped up in the absence of Manish Pandey and played a match-winning knock in the win over Rising Pune Supergiants, when he notched up his maiden IPL half-century and was also adjudged the Man of the Match.
Yadav is the fulcrum of a relatively inexperienced KKR middle-order, which has relied heavily on the heroics of Yusuf Pathan this season. The 25-year-old has scored 163 in this edition of the IPL at an average of 27.16 in 14 matches and remained not out in four of those. At 6,000 the middle-order batsman can prove to be a useful pick in your fantasy team.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal has had a phenomenal season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, something that is evident from him leading the Purple Cap race with 19 dismissals to his name.
The leg-spinner has been Virat Kohli’s go-to bowler and has played a vital part in helping the team qualify for the playoffs. What has been more impressive is that the 25-year-old has taken the 19 wickets in only 11 games at a magnificent average of 17.05 and has provided crucial breakthroughs to his side on many occasions.
Although the leg-spinner is the costliest player of the lot at 7,000, he is a must have in your squad and is almost certain to fetch you good points in return.
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Naman Ojha
The Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batsman has been sensational behind the wicket for his team and has managed to pouch 18 catches in the tournament so far.
His diving catch to dismiss Adam Zampa off Ashish Nehra’s bowling in the game against RPS was the highlight of his season and it also denied us the opportunity to witness the first Super Over of this year’s Indian Premier League.
Ojha has been handy with the bat too and is capable of striking lusty blows at will. The 32-year-old has managed to amass 112 runs in 14 matches for the Hyderabad franchise, including the highest score of 37. He could prove to be a valuable addition in your team, especially considering his price, which is 5,000.
Manish Pandey
The Kolkata Knight Riders batsman has been in prime form throughout the season, however, he missed a couple of games in the middle due to Chicken Pox. At 6,500, Pandey is the second most expensive player on the list, but he is worth the money as he is capable of producing match-winning knocks.
The 26-year-old has managed to score 212 runs in 11 matches this season at an average of 30.28 – no mean feat considering it is in T20s. Pandey has also managed to rack up two half-centuries for his side and has taken 6 catches during the tournament.
DISCLAIMER: The article just contains suggestions and Sportskeeda are not responsible or liable for the outcome.
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