Brad Hogg picks his top 3 powerplay batsmen in the IPL

The thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was originally scheduled to kickstart from March 29 but with the escalating situation of the global pandemic, the tournament was postponed till April 15th. With the country under a 21-day lockdown, it is almost impossible that the latest chapter of the cash-rich franchise-based league will unfold from the said date. However, the buzz around the tournament refuses to die.

Former Australian left-arm leg-spinner and a two-time World Cup-winner Brad Hogg has been busy on social media over the last few days doing a Q&A session. And he started a new series on his official Youtube channel on Friday and picked his top three batsmen in the IPL during the powerplay overs.

Brad Hogg picks Raina, the only Indian in the list

Brad Hogg picked his compatriot and Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner, Mr. IPL and a vital cog in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wheel Suresh Raina and Rajasthan Royals’ swashbuckling opener Jos Buttler as his picks for the top-3 batsman during the powerplay overs (0-6).

He reckoned that Warner’s ability to score freely on both sides of the wicket coupled with his brilliant running between the wickets makes him a great force during the first six overs. As for Suresh Raina, Brad Hogg feels that the southpaw targets specific bowlers brilliantly while Jos Buttler’s precocious talent of hitting innovative shots makes him an indomitable force.

The 13th edition of the IPL may be in jeopardy but the likes of Warner and Jos Buttler are still hoping for a curtailed edition and are training in case the tournament goes ahead. “It’s very hard to see this [situation] changing in the immediate future, so I don’t see that as a possibility at the moment. But as we know, things can hopefully change for the positive quickly as well,” Buttler was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

“That’s such a massive tournament for world cricket, so hopefully it becomes a situation where some of it [can be played] or it can become a shortened tournament, or something can go ahead,” Buttler added.

Here’s the video: